‘Questionable decision-making’ – Cope supports ANC in bid to oust Ekurhuleni mayor

While Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell yesterday appeared unfazed by the ANC submission of a vote of no confidence in her leadership, the Congress of the People (Cope) has become the first minority party to throw its weight behind the move – citing her “questionable decision-making” in the coalition government.

Ekurhuleni speaker Raymond Dhlamini said the matter was set for debate at the ordinary council meeting on 26 October, with Campbell saying the coalition remained “steadfast in our commitment to serve all the residents”.

Optimistic about the success of the ANC’s political offensive to oust Campbell, party caucus spokesperson and chief whip Jongizizwe Dlabathi, said the basis for the motion included:

• The mayor’s contravention of her function contained in Section 56B and subsection C Municipal Systems Act, of having finalised the budget without considering inputs of the community, through the integrated development plan;
• Ekurhuleni’s “anti-pro-poor budget, which has taken free basic electricity from the poor, during tough economic times”;
• The delayed appointment of the member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for infrastructure, after the suspension and ousting of Ndzipho Kalipa; and
• Poor handling of the Tembisa protests over electricity tariff hikes and the neglecting of the region’s townships on service delivery.

Noting that the motion, submitted to Dhlamini, has to be served in the programming committee ahead of the 26 October council sitting, Campbell said she would not comment further “until such a time that the committee has resolved on the motion”.

Expressing Cope’s support for the ANC motion, Kalipa said the party in Ekurhuleni has been “very frustrated because we were reduced to becoming a rubber stamp, rather than being in a coalition to govern”.

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He said: “When I served as MMC, we were isolated from making an input in key decision-making. We demanded equality as per the coalition agreement, which spells out very clearly how we should work together, but the mayor was consistently not hearing us.

“My removal as Cope’s mandated MMC saw the roads and maintenance portfolio given to the IFP without following proper process.”

Kalipa said “among several of her flaws”, has been that Campbell “did not follow the IDP process” requiring community consultation, before a budget is processed.

“When we advised her to advance a transformative agenda, she was vehemently opposed to that.”

He said Cope supported “everything raised in the ANC motion – what we have warned about is in the past”.

“We will support the motion and want to suggest that the speaker and the chief whip of council, should also go.”

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