The motion was tabled by the EFF to remove mayor Sechele Sebolai of the ANC, eight months after the mayoral chain was hung around his neck.
According to Hercules Louw of the DA, both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) requested that the motion be handled at the next council meeting, which is to be held on Wednesday, 27 March. Speaker Sinah Langa insisted on continuing with the matter as it was already on the agenda.
“The DA and FF Plus councillors did not cast their votes and neither did the EFF councillors,” he said. “Before casting our votes, the DA wants to discuss the matter thoroughly.”
According to Louw a provincial representative of the EFF was present during the meeting and indicated another motion will be tabled soon.
Sebolai reiterated that the motion was an effort to divert their attention away from service delivery.
“The same thing was done with my predecessor Marlene van Staden. It is an attempt to control you with fear that you will be removed from your position if they do not get what they want. We will not succumb to such pressure,” he said. “The EFF wasn’t able to give any tangible evidence of why I need to be removed.”
He said that they jokingly refer to the motion as a “tender proposal”.
“Someone should tell them that mayors do not issue tenders. We have evidence of their activities and will not be swayed.”
The ANC holds 14 of the 28 seats in the council, with opposition parties another 14 (the DA has seven, the EFF has four and the FF Plus has three.)
