The Democratic Alliance (DA) will urgently be writing to the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Jacob Mamabolo to urge his immediate intervention in the failing state of governance of the Sedibeng District Municipality.
Last week, the DA, and all opposition parties sent a letter to the Municipal Manager to force a Council sitting, as the municipality has outstanding matters to tend to. These matters are:
- A Motion of No Confidence against the Mayor; and
- The tabling of the Municipality’s adjustment budget.
To subvert the functioning of Council, and in a continuation of ANC Sedibeng factional battles, the ANC alongside the Municipal Manager, Motshumi Mathe, removed the Speaker.
Today, with a new Council meeting set, and both items to be heard, with the addition of electing a new Speaker of Council, the Municipal Manager waited until the very last moment to inform Council that he is allegedly sick and will not be attending Council.
Without a presiding officer, Council could not continue.
The ANC is clearly stalling for time as they aim to gather the numbers to pass their budget and keep their Mayor in place.
All of this means that service delivery stalls across the district, while the ANC and the Municipal Manager blatantly trample over the rule of law.
We call on the MEC of CoGTA to urgently investigate this matter, provide clarity and clean up Sedibeng Council so that pressing matters can be dealt with, and services delivered.