THE Democratic Alliance has described eThekwini Council Speaker Logie Naidoo’s leadership as ineffective and partisan and says the council, under Naidoo’s watch has become increasingly dysfunctional.
According to DA chief whip, Councillor Sharon Hoosen, the Democratic Alliance strongly rejects this state of affairs, which, it claims, rendered elected councillors voiceless.
At a meeting of council on 1 October 2014, Naidoo took it upon himself to suspend the Rules of Order by-law. He disallowed all points of order and information and proceeded through a number of agenda items with no vote or opportunities to speak.
According to Hoosen, the Speaker also allowed several ANC councillors to say incredibly offensive things, with one councillor shouting “Shut up!” and another saying DA caucus leader Zwakele Mncwango was a “‘black boy in the back of a white man’s bakkie”‘.
“These kinds of outrageous statements and behaviour have become commonplace under Naidoo’s failing leadership. ANC infighting, evident in the extended postponement of council’s executive committee, is also present in council, where ANC councillors themselves frequently challenge the Speaker. Councillor Naidoo, under threat from his own party, has become increasingly autocratic. The Speaker is unable to deal fairly with councillors and run the meeting democratically because he is so focused on preserving his own position in the ANC,” she said.
She said the DA will move a motion of no confidence in Speaker Logie Naidoo at the next meeting of council.
“We will also explore other avenues to ensure that this state of affairs does not continue. The three million residents of eThekwini deserve a council in which their voices are heard, the rules are adhered to and democracy is respected. It cannot happen under Naidoo’s ineffective, partisan leadership,” said Hoosen.
