Gauteng Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Lebogang Maile will on Saturday hold a high-level meeting with senior managers from the Tshwane Municipality. He’s expected to explain the decision to dissolve the Tshwane Council, address challenges that require urgent intervention and outline a recovery plan to stabilise the municipality.
Briefing on the media this week, Premier David Makhura said the decision to dissolve the municipal council was due to political instability in the city, which has led to continuous failure to pass budgets, elect a mayor, supply water and pay its creditors. Makhura said that the DA-led metro failed in its constitutional mandate to provide services to Tshwane citizens.
In the videos below, Premier David Makhura announces that the Tshwane Council has been dissolved and the municipality placed under administration.
This follows three months of political battles over the control of the city, as the ANC and EFF fail in their bid to unseat the DA using a motion of no confidence. DA appointed former Tshwane Mayor Steven Mokgalapa resigned after he was accused of misconduct following, what has been dubbed as “sex in the city”: a leaked audio recording that went viral on social media.
The entire executive, which served under Mokgalapa, was automatically dissolved when he left office.
The EFF in Tshwane tabled a motion of no confidence against Mokgalapa, which succeeded with 111 votes. The DA called the process illegal and took the matter to court. The court ruled that Mokgalapa was not rightfully removed and he returned to his position as Mayor of the municipality. He then announced his intention to resign at the end of February.
Political parties welcomed the decision to place the municipality under administration. EFF leader Julius Malema accused the DA of behaving arrogantly.
“They are acting as though they have won government; they have not won government. In a situation of a coalition, even a party with one seat, he can be a mayor because he is holding a deciding vote. When parties hold deciding votes, they must listen to each other; a coalition works like that. But the ANC and DA do not appreciate that they have not won the election.”
EFF Statement on the Dissolution of Tshwane Municipality. pic.twitter.com/6f5V2sGpFa
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) March 5, 2020
The city will be run by an administrator and by-elections are expected to take place in 90 days.
In the video below, the Tshwane Council erupts into chaos during a gathering where a new Mayor was supposed to be elected.
