Tshwane council battle ends in chaos, with no result

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane pulled out all the stops to cling on to their last metropolitan municipality when the speaker in council refused to allow the opposition parties’ agenda to be heard in council yesterday.

There was plenty of action when councillors decided to get physical.

The ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had planned to oust speaker Katlego Mathebe, mayor Stevens Mokgalapa, deputy speaker Zweli Khumalo and chair of chairs Gert Pretorius.

This after their December no-confidence votes were suspended by the High Court in Pretoria following an urgent application by the DA. Mathebe had previously rejected the parties’ written request, stating that the ANC had forged their councillors’ signatures in a petition.

Members of the EFF can be seen protesting during the Council meeting at Thswane House, 16 January 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

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She subsequently issued a notice for a council sitting yesterday after a second petition was submitted by the parties.While the parties had set their own agenda, which listed Mathebe’s no-confidence motion top of the agenda, the speaker insisted on altering the agenda.

Members of the ANC can be seen protesting during the Council meeting at Thswane House, 16 January 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

The usual chaos ensued at the council chambers, with back-and-forth deliberations on the proposed agenda. Mathebe shot down suggestions by the ANC and EFF for councillors to vote on a preferred agenda.

But, six hours later, EFF and ANC councillors walked out, vowing to report Mathebe to Gauteng cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Lebogang Maile.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Chaos in Tshwane council as ANC, EFF clash with official

A physical altercation erupted between the group head of the secretariat of council, Tiyiselani Babane, and ANC councillors, with the EFF joining in.Babane, who is a member of the Congress of the People (Cope), was escorted out of council chambers by security after the incident.

Tlyiselani Babane, group head of the
secretariat of council is being escorted from the council chambers by security after getting involved in a tussle with an EFF councillor, 16 January 2020, Tswhane House, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Tshwane ANC leader Kgosi Maepa accused Mathebe of violating the constitution by presiding over a motion of no confidence directed at herself.

Tshwane EFF leader MoAfrika Mabogwane added: “We thought that sitting here is a waste of time.”

Maile announced on Wednesday that his department would suspend or expel Mathebe, should she fail to run the council smoothly.

Yesterday’s drama is just the latest in the chaotic council, which on Monday also saw the DA’s deputy chief whip in Tshwane, Mpho Mehlape-Zimu, laying fraud charges against the ANC regional leadership in Tshwane for allegedly forging signatures of seven members of the council in an attempt to “convene an illegal council sitting last week”.

– rorisangk@citizen.co.za

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