Political tension builds over ‘dramatic walkout’ by ANC

Lolo Madonsela

A dramatic walkout at last Tuesday’s sitting of the AbaQulusi Council was the result of ‘a failure to adhere to the rules and democratic practices’.
This is according to ANC Secretary of the Mzala Nxumalo Region, Zakes Buthelezi.
Buthelezi’s comment was in response to allegations from the IFP that the ANC wanted to see AbaQulusi Council disbanded for ‘narrow party political reasons’.
The ANC councillors walked out of the meeting after trying to table a motion, which was not passed by the Speaker of the Council, Michael Khumalo, who instead continued with the business of the day in tabling the Adjustment Budget. The presentation was to be delivered by acting Mayor, Mncedisi Maphisa.
However, the ANC’s walkout did not stop the adopting of the Adjustment Budget, as the opposition councillors were reportedly still leaving the chambers when the document was adopted and supported, and as such was deemed as legal and in accordance with regulations.
IFP Zululand District Deputy Chairperson, Mpiyakhe Hlatshwayo said, “If we had failed to approve the Adjustment Budget because of their [the ANC] walkout, the MEC could possibly have disbanded the municipal Council. I think the ANC actually wanted Council disbanded for their narrow party political reasons. The actual aim was to cause the failure by AbaQulusi Municipality to approve the Adjustment Budget. They wanted the municipality to fail to comply to a statutory mandate, and effect a total administration takeover.”

Also read: ANC councillors walk out of day’s second meeting

Hlatshwayo further stated that if a political party decided to force the Council to fail to approve a critical item, it showed a gross lack of concern for service delivery and municipal stability.
“It is a display of a lack of care about the customers of the municipality; the electorate or the voters. It simply means the municipality is coerced to fail to successfully do what it was elected for – deliver services. That is actually what the walkouts aim to achieve. It was a politically reckless act.”
According to Hlatshwayo, failure to approve the Adjustment Budget would have meant the municipality would be without both a Budget and a Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP).
“That would have meant the municipality has no plan to service its people. The ANC wanted to construct that opinion and was going to say the Government of the people cannot serve its people – a huge political suicide effort.”
Buthelezi stated there were three motions to be tabled by the ANC at the next ordinary Council meeting, which was to be held on Tuesday. He explained the motions were: that Council be appraised on the developments around stolen funds at the municipality; that a motion of no confidence be taken on Cllr Khumalo, based on the current court case regarding the allegedly stolen generator; and that a Mayor be elected, as Cllr Maphisa is only acting in the position.
“We believe these are very serious matters Council has to deal with. When we therefore learned about the special Council meeting which had been called to discuss only the Adjustment Budget and a few other items, we formally wrote to the Speaker via the ANC Whip in the municipality, to persuade him to add all the items which were going to be in the ordinary Council meeting on February 28 to the agenda of the special Council meeting he had called Tuesday, or alternatively choose any other date before February 28 where a full Council meeting would consider all items which would have been on the agenda at Friday’s Council meeting,” continued Buthelezi.
He also lambasted Cllr Khumalo for the reason he gave for postponing a meeting, allegedly because the Deputy Mayor was getting married.

Also read: Speaker survives motion of no confidence

“This is an extremely obnoxious reason to cancel a meeting of Council, as it is based on a personal matter which has nothing to do with governance. Secondly, the Deputy Mayor would have known by last year September that Council was scheduled for this day. It is worrying but expected of the IFP-led municipality, to prioritise self-interest over governance matters though. They have never failed to demonstrate their twisted reasoning when it comes to governance of the municipality. There was also no response to why any other day could not be chosen, to discuss all matters that were to be in the agenda of the ordinary meeting of February 28.”
Buthelezi further insinuated that the Adjustment Budget should not have been passed as the process was improper.
“The Budget was supposed to be first presented, seconded, then approved. They however seconded and adopted it without the Acting Mayor presenting it first; therefore this renders the adoption of the Budget illegal.”
Responding to the claims that the ANC wanted Council disbanded, Buthelezi said, “We believe Council must function within the prescripts of the law and the Constitution of the country. This Council is failing dismally in that regard. As demonstrated above, it has no will to even to uphold its own rules. The walkout was as a result of Council failing to adhere to its own rules and follow a democratic practice, as envisaged by our county’s constitution.”
Buthelezi said the ANC had given Cllr Khumalo ‘adequate space’ to deal with the Adjustment Budget and allow for democracy and accountability to flourish.
“In view of the facts as I have provided, one has no option but to view any attempt by the IFP-led council to put the blame on the ANC as cheap politicking. We are also aware of the ‘kangaroo court’ the IFP-led Council has set up to deal with our councillor, and we shall deal with that at an opportune time.”
Hlatshwayo however, said those councillors who walked out of the Council meeting would face disciplinary charges.

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