SACP urges ANC to act on North West council debacle

The SA Communist Party (SACP) has called on the ANC to intervene after a speaker and a municipal manager were unlawfully removed at the Mamusa Local Municipality in Schweizer-Reneke, North West.

SACP J Nkosi district secretary Sandile Kgosieng said the councillors ignored their constitutional mandate by collaborating with other parties to oust the two.

Seven ANC councillors, four from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and one from the AICM (Azanian Independent Community Movement) joined forces to vote out speaker Lesego Motlapele and force city manager Rantsho Gincane to take special leave.

READ: ‘New era’ as ANC jumps into bed with Botho movement

But in terms of the Municipal Structures Act only the speaker, municipal manager or Cogta MEC are authorised to call a special council meeting.

In terms of the Act, if the speaker refuses to call a council meeting as requested by the majority of councillors, the municipal manager, or in the absence or refusal by the municipal manager, a person designated by the MEC may call and chair the meeting.

Working with their ANC counterparts, EFF councillors Kgosiethata Chubisi and Olebeng Mogorosi led the charge to remove Motlapele and suspend Gincane.

The speaker had asked them to provide her with substantial proof regarding their allegations about the officials.

Instead of supplying the information, they ignored the request and asked Gincane to convene the council
gathering, but he refused.

Motlapele and Gincane had approached the North West High Court in Mahikeng to challenge the actions taken against them and asked to be reinstated.

They have also asked the court to give an order that the councillors should pay the cost of the case from their own pockets if they lost.

NOW READ: Why are the people who want to lead us so uninspiring?