Ousted Ekurhuleni speaker to take legal action as ActionSA calls on MEC to intervene

Ousted City of Ekurhuleni speaker Raymond Dhlamini has confirmed that he will take the legal route in order to reverse his removal.

Another council sitting of the metropolitan municipality descended into chaos on Thursday night, after Dhlamini – who was set to face a motion of no confidence – adjourned proceedings before walking out following disruptions.

The extraordinary council meeting, which started at 1pm, was however, taken over by City manager Imogen Mashazi and resulted in the election of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor Nthabiseng Tshivhenga as interim speaker.

Although the City’s adjustment budget tabled on the agenda was not passed, the council meeting also resolved to suspend the council rule on the six-month wait between motions of no confidence.

‘Coup’

Dhlamini has since indicated that his party, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has agreed to approach the courts following Thursday’s events.

“Yes indeed, we are taking legal action against this coup that wants to take over everything illegally. Yes we are going to court. We spoke and agreed that we must take the matter to court. That’s where we are going so we will meet them in court,” he said on Friday.

He also dismissed the suggestion that he was attempting to block City of Ekurhuleni Mayor, Tania Campbell’s potential removal from office.

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“I can’t frustrate them if they follow the rules of the House. They are not following any rules that’s the problem. I cannot just allow something because you are howling in council. If you are howling and we cannot control the council then it means I need to adjourn it.

“So it’s not about defending the executive mayor. It has nothing to do with that. By the way we need to remember that the motion tabled against the mayor previously, I was the speaker and we allowed it to be debate [in council] so I don’t understand this narrative saying we trying to block that.”

‘Held ransom’

Meanwhile, ActionSA has urged Gauteng Local Governance MEC, Mzi Khumalo to intervene. The party believes the council meeting was illegal.

“Regardless of the merits of the motions of no confidence Dhlamini was due to face, it is the speaker’s responsibility to facilitate the democratic business of council, and his behaviour, therefore, falls outside the scope of what can be accepted by a speaker duly elected to serve council and the City’s residents,” ActionSA Gauteng chairperson Bongani Baloyi said in a statement.

“The inability of the municipality to pass important items, including the adjustment budget, now directly threatens the sustainability of the municipality, and its ability to provide services to its residents.”

Baloyi lamented that the fact that Dhlamini had, on 26 January, presided over a council sitting which also collapsed.

“To make matters worse, this isn’t Dhlamini’s first time displaying this contempt for council decorum. A week ago he attempted to block scheduling a motion of no confidence in him by summarily ending a meeting of the programming committee prematurely.

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“The City of Ekurhuleni cannot be held ransom by the undemocratic practices of its speaker, and the continued delays in council business by the DA-led coalition are further exacerbating the existing service delivery issues in that City. There is a human cost to his dilatory tactics; the people of Ekurhuleni suffer most in the end.”

ActionSA, Baloyi added, will therefore formally write to the MEC.

Thursday’s meeting further saw the election of ANC deputy regional chairperson Jongizizwe Dlabathi as acting whip of council.

This is after DA councillor Khetha Shandu, who was also facing a motion of no confidence, tendered his resignation before the council sitting.

Another DA ward councillor Pieter Henning also resigned.