Tensions are palpable in the City of Tshwane, with the metropolitan municipality without a mayor trying to continue its business.
Motion of no confidence
The council meeting has been scheduled for this Tuesday by Tshwane speaker Murunwa Makwarela.
Councilors will elect a new mayor following the resignation of Democratic Alliance (DA) member Randall Williams.
Makwarela rejected a request to call an emergency council on Friday, leaving the DA-led coalition unsatisfied.
Coalition partners have since indicated that they plan to remove Makwarela from his post for refusing to “approve the petition of the majority of councilors to hold a meeting”.
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“A motion of no confidence will be tabled against the speaker of Tshwane for his deliberate actions to put the multi-party coalition at risk and for disregarding the law by refusing to call the required council meeting,” the multi-party coalition. said in a statement.
Political parties, including the DA, ActionSA, and FF Plus, have also threatened legal action against Makwarela to force the speaker to hold a council meeting.
The party explained that the rush to elect a mayor is due to the need to quickly implement an adjustment budget for the city by the end of February.
“The Speaker has planned a meeting to elect a new mayor on February 28, which will prevent the adjustment budget from passing the deadline set for the same day. This opens the door for the provincial government to place the City of Tshwane in administration, as the premier of Gauteng has shown his intention to do it.
He also accused the speaker of “jumping ship” to join the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Tshwane.
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But Makwarela denied the parties’ claims.
“It is important to note that the facts are false and untrue. On Wednesday, February 22, at approximately 09:25, my office received a hand-delivered request on February 21 from a multi-party coalition.
“My request is that I hold a special council meeting for the election of the executive mayor, even though my office issued a notice inviting councilors to a special council meeting on February 28,” he said in a statement.
‘Serious allegations’
Makwarela said that about 108 councilors should support calling the council to consider the matter.
“The request received by the multi-party coalition was accompanied by only 107 signatures. It is also important to note that any decision to call a meeting must comply with the internal rules and municipal orders regarding sufficient notice, in this case at least 48 hours, for the meeting special council,” continued the speaker.
Councilors of the Congress of the People (Cope) also rejected suggestions that the city would be put into administration.
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“This is also not true. because there is no legislative requirement that the city must approve the adjustment budget. In order for the city to be included in the city administration, it must fail to submit the annual budget,” said Makwarela.
“I also note the serious allegations made in the multi-party media statement that I am now aligned with the ANC and the EFF in my bid to be elected municipal mayor.
“This is a misrepresentation of me and the character that I have done and will remain loyal to this multi-party coalition. If the members of the multi-party coalition believe that they should table a motion of no confidence in me, in terms of the rules and orders of the council. They are welcome do it,” he added.
‘lost the plot’
Meanwhile, former ActionSA councilor Abel Tau has called for the city to be placed under administration as he believes the DA has collapsed the metro.
“The latest statement that threatens to create a motion of no confidence in the speaker, Dr Murunwa Makwarela, member of Cope, who is one of the coalition partners proves that he has lost the plot and has no plan to save the city.
“Therefore, we are calling on the Gauteng provincial government to save the city from the coming disaster. We are of the opinion that the new development warrants the city to be placed under the provincial government and hold new elections within 90 days,” said the leader of the United African Transformation (UAT) Thursday.
Confusion retreated
Williams resigned from his position on February 13 and appointed the city’s former Finance MMC, Peter Sutton, as mayor.
He later changed his resignation to take effect on February 28 and was accepted by Makwarela, thus canceling the council meeting scheduled for last Thursday.
However, the EFF in Tshwane insisted that the first letter was valid and should be accepted by the council.
EFF members stormed Tshwane House last week, demanding that members of the mayoral committee be removed as Williams’ resignation eliminated the post.
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