The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal is considering legal action after acting uMngeni Municipal Manager Sandile Buthelezi allegedly refused to call council meeting.
Last week, the newly-elected council failed to sit after suspended municipal manager Thembeka Cibane attempted to preside over it.
This led to councillors from the DA and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) walking out.
Buthelezi, in a statement, says he has written to the provincial Co-operative Governance Department for a way forward.
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However, KwaZulu-Natal DA Chairperson Dean MacPherson says Buthelezi is legally bound to call the council’s first meeting.
“The Acting Municipal Manager Sandile Buthelezi wrote to myself and our lawyers and said that he wants the MEC of CoGTA in KwaZulu-Natal to designate someone to be the presiding officer now this. Now, there’s no basis of him to do that and equally there is no bases of law for the MEC to designate someone when the law is very clear that the presiding officer is Buthelezi as Acting Municipal Manager, and he is the Acting Municipal Manager because he called the first meeting in his capacity as Acting Municipal Manager. So, there can be no doubt as to his lawfulness and his ability to call such meeting.”
