A special council meeting of the City of Johannesburg has been called on Wednesday to elect the new speaker of council.
However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) maintains that councillor Vasco Da Gama is still the speaker of council, whilst the African National Congress (ANC) says he was removed following last Thursday’s motion of no confidence vote.
The DA says this motion was defeated because the ANC did not have the 50% plus one majority needed.
“The City manager for the City of Jo’burg has called a special council meeting to elect Speaker of council, because council doesn’t have a speaker at moment,” says Nthatisi Modingoane, of the City of Johannesburg.
The DA says however that such meetings would be illegal with no binding decisions.
“There is still a Speaker in place, and until a court overturns that, the Speaker must be the one who calls meetings – not the MEC, City Manager or Mayor,” says Mike Moriarty, of the DA.
There are claims that the DA has instructed its councillors not to attend Wednesday’s meeting, which could mean it would not have a quorum.
“If DA councillors do not come, its upon them to account the citizens of Jo’burg and voters who voted them for abandoning their responsibility of being inactive in council,” says the ANC’s Jolidee Matongo.
The council meeting is scheduled for 10:00 on Wednesday.
