Council meeting bogged down in technicalities
A second item on the agenda, the report into the alleged misdemeanours of Corporate Services Manager Martin Hlangeni was held in committee. Speculation is that this could also be bogged down in semantics....
Today’s Endumeni Council meeting became bogged down in semantics – resulting in a decision being made for the municipality’s own legal department AND an outside attorney to judge if two previous Council meetings ,on March 4 and 8, were legal in terms of the Standing Orders governing Council meetings.
The compromise was reached after the IFP’s Bongiwe Mbatha – quoting section 9 of the act – strongly suggested that the meetings – one of which resulted in the axing of acting municipal manager, T Makhoba – were indeed legal.
The DA’s Anthon Raubenheimer disagreed saying that the meetings were not legal as less than 48 hours notice was given for Councillors to be notified of the meeting. He also noted that Section 9 only dealt with issues when Councillors received no notice of the meeting – which in this case, all Councillors did – by way of SMS – but not in the stipulated time frame, he told the meeting.
He wanted the status quo to resume – meaning Mr Makhoba would return – a fact made more complicated as today was the day his contract would have in any case expired. The ANC Mayor, Thulani Mahaye, agreed that the meetings should be declared null and void.
Speaker Mdluli had his hands full to guiding the meeting with the IFP and DA sparring partners. As he chaired meetings that are under the spotlight, Speaker Mdluli thought it best to get two legal opinions – one from inside and the outside the building.
At first the IFP’s Richard Mbatha proposed that the Council follow the legal opinion route which prompted Speaker Mdluli to warn that with two proposals on the table, the issue would go down to a vote. It appears as if the two IFP and one NFP Councillor would have lost out on a straight vote.
Fortunately, for that block, Councillor Raubenheiimer withdrew his motion as said ‘lets go with the legal opinions to verify the veracity of those meetings’. It was also resolved that acting municipal manager, Bonga Mkhize, who is also the financial manager, continue to act until a Council meeting next Thursday during which more clarity will be sought.
A second item on the agenda, the report into the alleged misdemeanours of Corporate Services Manager Martin Hlangeni was held in committee. Speculation is that this could also be bogged down in semantics….
