‘Free vote’: DA councillor in Boksburg suspended for doing community’s bidding

The recent suspension of a Democratic Alliance (DA) Ekurhuleni ward councillor begs the question of whether the party allows ward councillors to exercise the will of their constituencies, or if they must toe the party line no matter what.

Boksburg ward councillor Marius de Vos was cut off from his caucus for voting against its will during the vote of no confidence that ousted former mayor Sivuyile Ngodwana in late March.

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The DA elected to abstain from the vote but De Vos, in an exercise of conscience, decided to vote in favour of discharging Ngodwana of his duties.

Listening to residents

According to De Vos, it was what his voters wanted him to do and he chose to follow the will of his constituency.

He told Saturday Citizen that his suspension was pending an investigation into his conduct. It’s already been over a month and according to party insiders, no investigation into his segue from the party line has commenced.

It may be dragged on until after the national polls. This means that De Vos continues his role as ward councillor, that he must still vote in council and is still expected to campaign for the DA.

The DA insider said it meant that De Vos is a half-loose cannon because oversight decisions and other aspects impacting his community are made in caucus.

But the insider said De Vos was being treated unfairly because the role of a ward councillor is to be a link between community and the municipality.

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The East Rand caucus’ actions starkly contrast with Johannesburg DA whip Leah Knott’s view.

“We have never had such an issue to my knowledge, as councillors engage extensively at caucus on issues affecting their respective communities,” she said.

“If for whatever reason something like that did happen, then if a councillor shows that it is within legal prescripts, doesn’t infringe rights and benefits a community, then exceptions can be made. In the DA we also have a free vote concerning matters of conscience.”

Yet at national level, former DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia had been castigated for his support of the plight of Palestinians in the Gaza war when the party line differed from his view. It eventually led to his resignation.

A DA insider said that normally decisions are voted for in caucus collectively, but abstinence in the Ngodwana vote was an instruction from above and there was no local decision-making process.

De Vos and other councillors confirmed this and he reiterated that taking action to get rid of a mayor he labelled as ineffective was the will of the people who voted the DA and De Vos into office in the first place.

Charles Cilliers of the Patriotic Alliance said that this has never happened to his party so it was hypothetical.

“I honestly can’t imagine why the party’s will would differ from the community’s need. If the party is taking a view that is against the needs of the community, then people should stop voting for them,” he said.

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Siyanda Makhubo, ActionSA Ekurhuleni caucus leader, said ActionSA public representatives are expected to represent the views of their communities first and foremost. “Secondary to that is the party view,” Makhubo said.

In an instance when a councillor must exercise their party’s will which is in opposition to their ward’s views, there are mechanisms in place to ensure that voices are heard, he added.

It is easier to toe the party line in council for public representatives who were elected proportionally, like parties, and not individuals who are voted for in provincial and parliamentary elections.

Knott said: “In this system, the political party nominates its candidates on the party list.

“The number of votes a party receives determines the number of candidates a political party will have.”

Ward councillors are individuals who do belong to a party but are voted for by name, not simply political association.

According to Knott, a ward councillor represents a specific ward on the municipal council and is elected through the first past the post system, in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins.

“Ward councillors are the chairs of their ward committees and must give special attention to their wards,” she said.

Ekurhuleni DA chief whip Mike Waters did not acknowledge nor respond to questions from Saturday Citizen for more than a week.

The DA did not share officially whether there was a caucus vote, where the instruction to abstain originated, nor why De Vos was suspended.