IN a surprise move, the Umbilo CPF committee was ousted at its Annual General Meeting on Thursday night after a vote of no confidence was overwhelmingly supported by those in attendance.
The evening began on a cordial note when former chairman, Ben Madokwe, reviewed the work done by the CPF over the past year and urged the various sectors in the community to work together in the fight against crime.
“Crime fighters are not united in the community. The common enemy is crime and we all need to cooperate in the interests of the community. We need to focus our energy in the fight against criminals. The higher the population in the area, the more the crime and the increase in criminals. Community watches do outstanding work in the community, but we need to put aside our differences and work together, the sky is the limit,” he said.
Madokwe said the committee had inherited an organisation in need of financial support, and which had been dogged by resignations in its year of operation. This, he said, had been its greatest challenge.
When it came time to present the annual financial statement, the treasurer, Major Zwane, told the meeting that he was too ill to present the report and asked that committee member, Tony Blaunfeldt be allowed to address the matter of the financial report.
It was at this point that things got heated with questions from the floor asking about the financial report and putting former chairman Ben Madokwe on the spot when he was asked when last the CPF had been audited. Bemused, Madokwe responded by saying an audit had never been done.
Guy Perrins of Glenwood Comm Watch, whose members were strongly present at the meeting, stood up and said he had no confidence in the CPF chairperson.
“This whole thing is a farce. I posted on the Umbilo CPF Facebook page today and my comment was blocked, it is shocking. The chairman says we need to work together, but we can’t now. I call for a motion to vote for a interim CPF until we can vote for a permanent structure,” said Perrins.
It was pointed out that a vote of no confidence could not pertain to a single member of the committee, but the structure as a whole. A proposal to dissolve the committee and elect an interim committee was put forward and supported.
After much debate over the protocols needed to be followed in order to dissolve the committee, a representative from the Department of Community Safety and Liaison took over the meeting and called for nominations for an interim steering committee. The committee has been tasked to take care of CPF business for three months after which a special general meeting will be called and elections for an executive committee will be held.
The interim committee elected is made up of chairman Tony Blaunfeldt, vice-chairman Sthembiso Madlala, secretary Nicky Scott, and former treasurer Major Zwane, was re-elected to the position of treasurer. Thabo Kadikadi will handle the public relations portfolio.
In accepting the position of chairman, Blaunfeldt said: “Three months is tight, but we have to do it. I thank everyone for their vote of confidence in me.”
