The inaugural council meeting in a new political term is seen as a prestigious event, but the prestige in Rand West City was overshadowed by disruption.
On Tuesday, 16 August, the first council meeting for the new political term in the new Rand West City Local Municipality was held at the former Randfontein Local Municipality council chambers.
The meeting marked the election of a new speaker, council whip and mayor. It was especially important as those elected will serve in the newly formed municipality.
However, before and during the meeting, supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) gathered in their numbers outside the municipality, after what was alleged to be internal unrest by EFF member Paul Sithole Letlohogonolo.
Police and Traffic Police officers were dispatched to the scene to control the crowd of hundreds. When the EFF councillors finally arrived at the meeting, a proposal for a new Speaker was put forward and the vote went in favour of Violet Nqina-Mzondeki.
Once she was chosen, she took charge of the rest of the meeting. Her first act as Speaker was to facilitate the vote for the new Mayor, Mzi Khumalo.
This will be Khumalo’s first official term; however, he served as mayor for a little over a year in the previous term after Sylvia Thebenare was ousted from her position as mayor.
Lastly, Mkhuseli Jokazi was elected as the Council Whip.
In the now combined council, the ANC has a majority of 37 seats. The DA has 19 seats; the EFF eight; the Azanian People’s Organisation (AZAPO), the Freedom Front Plus and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have one seat each; and the Randfontein People’s Party has two.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
Also read:
Randfontein and Westonaria to become one municipality
R’fontein – W’aria to merge regardless of metro
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