Tshwane special council meeting to decide on Williams’ resignation cancelled

The City of Tshwane’s special council sitting that was scheduled for Wednesday, to deliberate on the resignation of Mayor Randall Williams has been cancelled.

Tshwane mayor resigns

This follows Williams’ resignation on Monday, following adverse findings by the Auditor-General (AG) and a looming motion of no confidence from the Economic Freedom Fighters.

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In his resignation letter on Monday, Williams initially said he would step down effective from midnight on that day.

However, the outgoing mayor later made a U-turn and tendered an amended resignation letter in which he said he would only vacate office on 28 February.

Williams said he was remaining in office in order to “ensure that the core work of the City is not interrupted and that the mayoral committee remains in place”.

Special council meeting cancelled

Tshwane council speaker Murunwa Makwarela confirmed the sitting to deliberate on Williams’ two conflicting resignation letters was cancelled due to legal advice his office sought.

“I had to seek legal advice as to exactly which letter I have to take into cognisance because both letters have legal implications,” said Makwarela, in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.

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He said the mayoral committee of the multiparty coalition government led by the Democratic Alliance remained in place.

The speaker complained that Williams’ resignation was not properly handled.

He said the metro was “caught between a rock and hard place” because Williams was currently on special leave until 28 February, while the MMC for finance and leader of executive business, Alderman Peter Sutton, was currently the acting mayor.

Tshwane’s annual report

At the same time, Makwarela said the mayoral committee was tasked by council with making changes to the metro’s annual report, which was submitted during an ordinary sitting on 26 January.

He said the report was approved for a public participation process for 60 days, but council later learned that the report was a draft document.

Makwarela said the mayoral committee was expected to correct the annual report and resubmit it to council in order for the public participation process to commence.

“That is the conundrum that we find ourselves in. The leader of executive business [Sutton] wrote to me on Monday, asking me to postpone Wednesday’s council meeting so that the mayoral committee can sit and processes the new amended annual report by the chairperson of the audit performance committee,” said Makwarela.

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