Ekurhuleni City Mayor Tania Campbell will face a new attempt by opposition parties to remove her from office.
The motion of no confidence has been approved by the metro council’s programming committee and will be heard during the council’s regular meeting on March 30, 2023.
Motion of no confidence
Campbell, a Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor, is likely to leave office after a “coalition” of opposition parties – led by the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – last month removed the DA. councilor Raymond Dhlamini is the speaker of the council and elected in the EFF councilor Nthabiseng Tshivenga as speaker.
READ ALSO: Tania Campbell has been removed as Ekurhuleni mayor
Councilor Khetha Shandu then resigned on February 2, as council whip before facing a motion of no confidence from opposition parties. ANC regional deputy chairman Jongizizwe Dlabathi was elected to fill his post.
A small group of parties led by the ANC and the EFF are understood to have a majority of seats in the council.
Amendment to standing order
The motion of no confidence in Campbell comes after the new repeal of the council’s rules, which put a six-month limit on the number of motions, including motions of no confidence, that can be tabled in the Council.
The amendment to the standing order means councilors can make motions without being restricted by the six-month limit.
The ANC and EFF argued that the amendment was made in order to remove Campbell from office, arguing that the change had gone through a public participation process and was tabled in the program committee before being approved in council.
Campbell was previously removed from office through an ANC-sponsored motion of no confidence on October 26.
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After two weeks, he returned as mayor in November, after collapsing in talks between the ANC and the EFF over which party should run the metro.
Campbell ‘committed to serving all citizens’
Campbell on Friday noted the approval of the motion of no confidence by the program committee.
The mayor said he respects the council process and the democratic rights of the parties represented on the council.
Despite this, Campbell said he remained steadfast in the commitment of the DA-led multiparty coalition government to serve all residents of the City of Ekurhuleni.
“Service delivery remains a priority for the multiparty coalition government, and we will not refuse to continue implementing our mandate,” he said in a statement.
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