Councillors in the City of Joburg council chambers in Braamfontein on 30 September 2022. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) bid to dissolve the City of Johannesburg council has failed after the majority of councillors voted against the party’s motion.
The City of Joburg convened an ordinary council meeting at the Constance Conny Bapela Council Chamber in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on Thursday.
During the council sitting, DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the party’s call to dissolve the council was not one made lightly, “but rather out of deep concern for the current state of governance” in the city.
Kayser-Echeozonjoku told councillors she believed the revolving door of mayors and speakers did not inspire confidence for investments and economic growth.
“It is evident that the council has been marked by inefficiency, infighting, squabbles for positions and a lack of meaningful progress in addressing the pressing issues facing our residents. The decision to dissolve the council should be seen as an opportunity to reset our city in a way that better serves the needs of our residents.
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“Over the part year, we have witnessed a lack of effective leadership and an inability to address key challenges such as the water crisis, power supply and other service delivery related challenges. All these contribute negatively to the economic growth of our city,” she said.
Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) councillor Mlungisi Mabaso, however, said the DA’s motion, which would require the city to have an election after 90 days, had “no political logic”.
“Dissolving the municipality is definitely not a solution and there’s no way IFP can support this motion,” Mabaso said.
While the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) backed the DA motion, Freedom Front Plus (FF+) councillor Franco de Lange said it would be careless to leave the city without proper oversight for three months.
“Most South Africans are used to voting twice in a five year cycle. I think it would extremely irresponsible to expect our residents, especially before a general election to go and stand in endless queues to vote again when we have a election in the city,” De Lange said.
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) opposed the motion because the city’s dissolution would be “wasteful and directionless”.
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Furthermore, Patriotic Alliance (PA) councillor Kenny Kunene said he believed the DA motion was “inspired by racism and arrogance” towards the residents.
“Let them dissolve themselves,” Kunene said.
GOOD party councillors Lloyd Phillips labelled the DA’s move as “an idea without a plan”.
ActionSA’s Joburg caucus leader Nobuhle Mthembu said her party will not support “this gimmick of the dissolution of council” before an unidentified councillor shouted out “Dissolution Alliance”.
165 councillors rejected the DA’s motion, while 63 voted in favour of it.
No councillor abstained from voting.
Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda has since welcomed the outcome.
“Once more, the council of the city has refused to be held at ransom by the DA and its deliberate attempts to gain political relevance at the expense of service delivery to the over six million residents of the city,” the mayor said in a statement.
Gwamanda said the DA’s “destructive behaviour” in the city was becoming a concern.
“Through frivolous litigations and motions, the DA has sought by all means to collapse and render Johannesburg dysfunctional as it has done in Tshwane.
“It has sought to collapse every tenet of good governance and democratic outcomes to satisfy an insatiable appetite to lead the city. We have reached a stage where for the DA it’s either a DA government or no government,” he added.
Meanwhile, the DA is planning to go court after Floyd Brink was reinstated as city manager on Wednesday.
Brink’s appointment on 23 February this year had been declared unconstitutional by the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg this month.
While the city appealed 7 November ruling, the high court upheld its initial judgment this week, thus, dismissing the municipality application.
Despite this, Brink has now returned to his position following the proper procedures by the council, according to Joburg spokesperson, Virgil James.
“In response to this flagrant disregard for legal and ethical governance, the Democratic Alliance is preparing to take this matter to court, seeking justice and upholding the rule of law,” Kayser-Echeozonjoku said in a statement on Thursday.
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