DA slams removal of Sedibeng Speaker

VEREENIGING – The DA says the Sedibeng District Municipality Municipal Manager, Motshumi Mathe illegally removed the Speaker of Council as part of their internal ANC-infighting. Last week Mathe issued a vacancy notice to the IEC without Council’s approval. Die opposition party condemned this move last week.

“This is an attack on the democratic process, and in breach of Section 27 of Structures Act – a seat can only be declared vacant on a district level, if the local council has recalled the representative. That has not happened,” Cllr Phil Gomes, the DA’s Chairperson in the Sedibeng Caucus said in a statement last week. According to Gomes the DA will be submitting a PAIA application to the municipal manager to determine what process was followed to remove and replace public representatives.

We will also request the supporting documents in this regard. Gomes says: “Sedibeng still has not passed its adjustment budget in Council and without a Speaker, this will inevitably prolong the process, collapsing already failing service delivery in the District. We cannot allow that to happen.” According to Gomes, infighting within the ANC in Sedibeng has raged for over a year, with the Mayor and Speaker at odds.

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The PAC has tabled a Motion of No Confidence against the Mayor, which opposition parties appear to be able to pass. Gomes says the ANC tried to force the Speaker, Moipone Modikeng, to resign at a provincial meeting, but she refused. He adds that councillors are only delegated to the District Council through formal local council processes—which were not followed in Modikeng’s removal. Add The Citizen as a preferred source to see more from Vaalweekblad in Google News and Top Stories.

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