The real reason Speaker Da Gama postponed the mayoral election process
DA Gauteng chairperson Mike Moriarty says the speaker is avoiding possible court action challenging an uncertain result.
Speaker of Joburg council Vasco da Gama after the vote for Joburg Mayor was postponed. Picture: Michel Bega
Speaker Vasco da Gama has elaborated on his decision to postpone the mayoral election process on Thursday.
He said an explanation on the election of an executive mayor was given to councillors.
“If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the candidate who receives the lowest number of votes must be eliminated and a further vote taken on the remaining candidates in accordance with [the] item.
“Councillors requested me to clarify what a majority of the votes means in this case before proceeding to vote on the matter.
“I adjourned council for 10 minutes to consult legal services to clarify the matter. On my return, I made a ruling in terms of the rules to postpone the meeting to December 4 and 5, 2019 in order to obtain an independent legal opinion from senior counsel to clarify the meaning of a majority of the votes as contained in the schedule.
“The meeting of council will be reconvened on Wednesday, December 4 2019, to elect the executive mayor.”
Da Gama’s decision was ill-received by councillors, who accused the DA of deliberately stalling on selecting a mayor. Human settlements MEC Lebogang Maile was one of the councillors who consulted a legal team on the matter.
“In this regard, I have instructed my legal team to urgently look into this matter to advise us on the appropriate action that needs to be taken,” Maile said on Thursday.
The postponement means its back to the drawing board for the EFF, ANC and DA who have thrown names in the ring for the mayoral chain.
The ANC also resolved to seek a legal opinion of its own after it threatened to go to court for clarity on council rules.
The party labelled the move by the DA speaker as an attempt to postpone the elections, which the ANC firmly believed would have gone its way.
ANC regional secretary in Johannesburg Dada Morero said: “We believe that the DA has taken a stance that is very illegal. They actually ran away from allowing this meeting to proceed. The same majority that elected them in 2016 is the same rule book that elected them in 2016.”
The DA defended its speaker’s decision, saying it was the correct and proper thing to do.
DA Gauteng chairperson Mike Moriarty said the speaker was avoiding possible court action challenging an uncertain result.
(Compiled by Gopolang Moloko)
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