Endumeni Council meeting descends into shouting match as ANC walks out

2017 has started like 2016 ended as far as the Endumeni Council is concerned.  Today’s meeting descended into a shouting match after there was a recommendation to suspend Chief Financial Officer, Bonga Mkhize, on charges relating to alleged financial misconduct.

The six Councillors arrived seven minutes after the meeting started and asked that they be briefed on what had already transpired.  They also wanted the meeting to be in committee.

This was after the IFP/DA/EFF alliance resolved that the Financial Officer be suspended after she had not reacted within the seven days entitled to her after she was served with a notice of suspension.

Mayor Richard Mbatha said details of the matter had not been discussed. A representative of the Auditor General’s office who was in the meeting was then called to give a report on Endumeni’s last audit finding which was described as a ‘clean audit’.

However, the ANC kept on objecting, claiming that they do not ‘recognise the acting municipal manager, Desi Padayachee’.  Speaker Bongiwe Mbatha asked Councillor M Xaba to ‘leave the house’ as he was the one who said they do not recognise Mr Padayacee.  Councillor Xaba also accused Mr Padayachee of allegedly ‘misleading the Council’.

Councillors continued to shout at each other and Speaker Mbatha warned that she would call security to have Councillor Xaba removed.  Councillor Xaba also shouted that the acting municipal manager was a ‘liar’.  The ANC Councillors then left the meeting.

Outside the gallery, Councillor SB Mdluli told the Courier that ‘they will open a corruption case against Mayor Mbatha’.

See video below on how the drama unfolded