Councillors went head-to-head regarding certain issues at the ordinary council meeting held last Thursday at the Wembezi Multi-Purpose Centre.
The presence of police officers in the parking area brought home the fact that repeated calls for improved security for councillors was still a talking point.
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After the meeting was officially declared open, opposition party councillors immediately brought up their requests for additional security, saying that recent shootings targeting councillors should be high on the agenda.
Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality Speaker Mr Mdakane battled to get the councillors to settle down and speak one at a time. He made several calls for councillors to adhere to the agenda, saying that the matter of security would be discussed in due course.
Before the meeting could proceed, Democratic Alliance (DA) Councillor Musa Nkala announced that the party had filed a motion of no confidence against Municipal Manager Patrick Mkhize, based on his ineffectiveness in necessitating additional security measures for councillors.
This sparked heated debate, with some councillors pointing out that a vote of no confidence is not extended to municipal management, but rather the political component.
Opposition councillors argued that in addition to not taking their requests for security seriously, Mr Mkhize should be held responsible for other issues relating to fruitless spending and service delivery.
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After much deliberation and debate, a vote was taken. The DA, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) voted in favour of no confidence, while the African National Congress (ANC) voted against it.
The ANC’s votes outweighed those of the opposition parties.
The lengthy agenda was then discussed, where councillors spoke about billing adjustments, indigent consumers and financial performance before the meeting was closed.
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