Mangaung speaker expected to announce secret ballot results against mayor

Speaker of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is reportedly expected to announce crucial results of the secret vote against Mayor Olly Mlamleli.

The tabling of the results is understood to have been scheduled for Friday noon, following a motion spearheaded by the Freedom Front Plus due to alleged maladministration and poor governance in the metro.

Speaker Mxolisi Ashford was expected to announce the results, which according to insiders, were suspected to be 31 votes for and 28 against.

It was earlier reported by The Citizen that a majority of councillors during a council meeting ousted the Mangaung mayor, despite the ANC’s stance.

The municipality was placed under administration in December 2019, with a special council meeting held last week to discuss the no-confidence vote against Mlamleli.

The DA’s Mangaung caucus leader Hardie Viviers said the party had been advocating for the motion of no confidence since 2016.

“The passing of the motion of no confidence in the Mangaung mayor… is a victory for all members of the council of Mangaung metro. Olly Mlamleli has finally been held accountable for her failures. Today, opposition parties have proven that they are prepared to stand together for the sake of our beloved City, even though we have our differences,” said Viviers.

But ANC provincial spokesperson Thabo Meeko said the ANC would hold a series of meetings to “understand what happened” and “what made ANC councillors vote with [the] opposition”.

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