The first council sitting for mayor Chris Pappas’ inauguration of uMngeni Municipality in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal has been disrupted.
It comes after suspended Municipal Manager Thembeka Cibane wanted to preside over the council meeting.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have staged a walkout in protest after the acting municipal manager allegedly refused to ask Cibane to leave.
DA councillors have instead opted to go to the Howick Magistrate’s Court for their councillors to be sworn in.
“The meeting was an illegal process. We then staged a walkout. The EFF walked out with us and that collapsed quorum. The meeting was unable to proceed. Currently, our councillors are here at the Magistrate’s Court being sworn in. What we will now do, we will seek legal opinion on the suspended municipal manager. We will write to the MEC for CoGTA for a directive in this matter. We will reconvene the inauguration process,” says Francois Rodgers, DA provincial leader.
The #uMngeniInauguration has collapsed as the ANC’s suspended municipal manager tried to preside over the meeting, nullifying any decisions taken.
The DA has walked out and will find alternative means for councillors to be sworn in. The will of the people will not be silenced! pic.twitter.com/KbYwoLLzhb
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) November 12, 2021
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