Samwu wants Tshwane put under administration

The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) in the Tshwane Metro has called on the Gauteng government to put the municipality under administration, as council meetings continue to collapse.

A council meeting in which a new mayor was expected to be elected collapsed last week after the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) staged a walk out – since they want speaker Katlego Mathebe to resign.

The Metro is currently without a mayor and a government and Samwu says is wants Gauteng Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Lebohang Maile to intervene.

Samwu’s Mpho Tladinyana says, “We have written a letter to the MEC of COGTA in Gauteng to consider amongst other things intervening in the impasse that is here in the city. But in his intervention, we have said that he must ensure that indeed meetings are called and don’t collapse and the councillors approve all the necessary reports that they need to approve, but equally we have said to him that he must consider putting this city under administration.”

Video: Chaos erupts again at Tshwane council meeting:

Last week the Democratic Alliance (DA) said the collapse of yet another council meeting in Tshwane is part of the oppositions’ tactics to eventually have the municipality placed under administration.

On Thursday a meeting where a new mayor was expected to be elected however the meeting collapsed due to the EFF and ANC walking out.

Randall Williams was expected to be elected and take over from Stevens Mokgalapa who resigned following a sex scandal. The council has failed to hold a successful sitting since December 2019.

Opposition parties also want Speaker Katlego Mathebe out. However attempts to oust her have been unsuccessful.

The ANC says it does not support Williams, however the party hasn’t put any name forward for the position. It says the people of Tshwane should blame Mathebe for the recurring collapse of council meetings.

ANC Leader in Tshwane Dr. Kgosi Maepa says they are worried about service delivery in the city.

“We are focused on saying we want to get Tshwane organised. We are now speaking to National Treasury because we are worried about the budget. Right now, we have Williams, but we don’t want to support him. So, if there’s any other candidate that will come, obviously, the ANC will have to make a calculation, but for now our preoccupation is to make sure that the city continues to get services and our people on the ground. The ANC has 68 wards out of 107. So, we are mostly affected,” says Maepa.

The EFF’s Mo-Africa Mabogwane says they don’t trust Mathebe to preside over the election of a new mayor.

The EFF says they had to stage a walkout and collapse the meeting:

We are pleased to announce Randall Williams as its candidate for the position of Executive Mayor of the DA-led City of Tshwane after Stevens Mokgalapa’s resignation. pic.twitter.com/BB3FYWJCMy

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) February 17, 2020