String of incidents point to shaky governance of Ekurhuleni’s coalition government

In what has been described as “resembling the workings of an underworld”, Chidi Manyane, the Ekurhuleni head of department for real estate, has laid criminal charges after a laptop was taken from his home at gunpoint two weeks ago.

The High Court in Pretoria will next week hear a case of what had led to the summary “suspension” of a member of a mayoral committee (MMC) by the municipal manager – and how the executive mayor had gone to ground when pressed for answers about it.

These allegations form part of a string of incidents, pointing to a shaky governance of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Council’s coalition government – a mere year after a multiparty leadership was inaugurated.

According to the suspended MMC, Ndzipho Khalipa – a Congress of the People (Cope) deployed councillor to Ekurhuleni – Manyane had opened a case at the Kempton Park police station after armed men stormed into his home, demanding his laptop.

“What is clear is that the confiscation of a laptop from Manyane, could be linked to a raging battle for the awarding of tenders – all resembling the workings of the underworld,” said Khalipa.

The hearing into Khalipa’s removal – he has been on a crusade to fight graft and demand accountability from government officials since assuming the MMC’s position – will be part of a court challenge brought by Cope, with another MMC, Imogen Mashazi, being one of the respondents.

The mayor, Tania Campbell, has not been available to respond to The Citizen’s inquiries on the controversial move by Mashazi of having replaced Khalipa with another Cope member, Thomas Mofokeng. This, after seeking advice from the Ekurhuleni legal department’s advocate Kemi Behari.

Said Behari: “I have no problem in addressing all your queries on this matter but advise that we are currently responding to an application launched by Cope on the actions of city manager, and other parties.”

While the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has maintained all along that the filling of the vacancy at the Ekurhuleni municipal council was “done in terms of the provisions of the Municipal Structures Act”, the decision contradicted last year’s resolution by Cope’s congress national committee (CNC), which had deployed Khalipa to Ekurhuleni.

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With that resolution, endorsed by Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota, Murunwa Makwarela was deployed to Tshwane, Khalipa to Ekurhuleni, and Collen Makhubela and Mofokeng to the City of Joburg.

Commenting on his suspension, which has resulted in salary and benefits losses, Khalipa said the campaign to remove him constituted “a betrayal of the constitution because I have been nominated and duly elected to represent Cope in Ekurhuleni”.

“I am being removed for demanding accountability from senior civil servants on such matters as tenders and questionable appointment of service providers.

“If we are a council that believes in the rule of law, we should not allow any collusion to remove those that speak up.

“Mofokeng has made himself a useful hired gun in the battle against graft, which includes questions on the removal of the chair of the audit committee,” said Khalipa.

As part of the urgent high court application, seen by The Citizen, Khalipa said in his affidavit he was “a Cope member in good standing and a number one member in the gazetted 2021 municipal proportional representative list for Ekurhuleni”.

“After the 2021 local government elections, I was duly deployed by the party to serve in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Council by the CNC,” said Khalipa.

In bringing the application on an urgent basis, Cope’s defence team has argued: “The decision taken to remove Mr Khalipa is manifestly unlawful.

“Mr Khalipa was deployed by the Cope national office to be a councillor in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Council.

“Subsequently, he was unlawfully removed by Mr David Malatji who did not have the authority to remove him as member of the party or as councillor.”

brians@citizen.co.za