ANC bid to hold special Tshwane council sitting over mayor, speaker stalls

The Tshwane opposition’s bid to convene a special council sitting on Wednesday evening, where the ANC and EFF were expected to table motions of no confidence against the speaker, mayor, deputy mayor and chair of chairs, has fallen through.

Having initially been refused a 18.00pm meeting by Speaker Katlego Mathebe due to time factors, ANC regional chairperson Kgosi Maepa tweeted that the sitting would be convened by the acting city manager at 19.00pm on Wednesday.

However, Maepa then read out a letter to the ANC caucus in council saying that Mathebe could not call the meeting as “reasonable time was not given”.

As a result, councilors who showed up to the Tshwane Council in Pretoria were instructed to return on Thursday at 10.00am, Maepa said.

Mathebe however confirmed to News24 on Wednesday after the meeting that no time or date had yet been scheduled for any proposed meeting.

If the ANC wanted to come to council on Thursday, it’s their decision, she said, but as speaker, she had not yet set a legal meeting of council.

The DA was not in attendance on Wednesday evening.

The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria recently ruled that the DA’s application over the motions of no confidence against City of Tshwane Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa and Speaker Mathebe are urgent.

This relates to the legalities around a council sitting on December 6 that resolved to oust Mokgalapa and Mathebe.

The DA lodged the application citing that the removal of the mayor and speaker was unlawful.

All decisions taken by the council on December 6 last year were subsequently suspended.

This includes the decision to appoint Obakeng Ramabodu as acting speaker, as well as the adoption of the motions of no confidence in Mathebe and Mokgalapa.

This means that both Mathebe and Mokgalapa are still in their positions for now.

Mokgalapa remains on special leave pending an investigation into audio released of him allegedly engaging in an intimate act with former Transport MMC Sheila Senkubuge.

Senkubuge has since resigned.

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