Speaker squashes answers to DA on road repairs
The DA in Ekurhuleni says that the Speaker of Council, Patricia Kumalo, may have grossly violated the statutory requirements of her office after she withdrew a question requiring the mayor’s response at the Council meeting on Thursday, May 22.
DA shadow MMC for Roads and Transport, Bill Rundle, had tabled questions for oral reply about the metro’s failure to award tenders for the repair and maintenance of Ekurhuleni’s roads in the 2013/14 financial year.
According to Rundle, the Speaker withdrew the questions citing that the matter was before the courts and some of the answers could jeopardise the outcome of the case.
“However, in answer to the DA’s Chief Whip, Andre du Plessis, she stated that she had not had a legal opinion on the matter, and it was her decision that the questions would not be answered.
“When challenged that there was no provision in the Council’s standing orders for her to restrict the answers to the questions, she continued to refuse to back down.”
Rundle said one of the main functions of Council and its oversight bodies is to question and interrogate the actions and results of the metro’s officials in the event of wrongdoing surfacing.
“The DA’s main concern is that the metro is attempting to hide something in refusing to answer Rundle’s questions, which the DA maintains are not related to the court case at all but rather to service delivery.”
The questions allegedly relate to the fact that as a result of the court case tenders have come to a complete standstill.
“The attached shows quite clearly that the questions do not relate to the essentials of the case itself. This means that as public representatives, the DA, is chiefly concerned about the court interdict against the metrom which prevents it from awarding roads repair and maintenance contracts.
“The Council, its oversight bodies and most importantly, residents, are being kept in the dark about this matter.”
Rundle says that in the meantime, motorists and residents are feeling the brunt of badly maintained roads throughout the metro with no relief in sight.
