The Democratic Alliance said the Govan Mbeki Municipality council speaker, Councillor Fikile Magagamela has consistently contravened the legislation by overlooking the terms of reference for the Municipal Public Account Committee (MPAC) which were adopted by the council earlier this year.
The DA said the terms of reference state clearly that the MPAC chairperson must come from opposition parties and also does not allows the ruling party (ANC) to nominate a candidate into that space.
“The election of the ANC ex-MMC into MPAC chairpersonship is a further insult to accountability and the Rule of Law,” said DA councillor Ciska Jordaan who was the chairperson of the MPAC committee until May 31.
“An illicit council meeting was held on Tuesday, May 31, over which the illegitimate speaker who was ousted with a motion of no confidence on Thursday, March 31 presided.
“The DA did not attend the meeting due to the unlawful occupation of the expelled speaker as the chairperson of that meeting,” explained Jordaan.
She said several items of importance which have a direct impact on the residents of the municipality, such as the increase of service tariffs, were discussed at that meeting.
Jordaan was removed as the MPAC chairperson and replaced by the ANC councillor Oupa Sibanyoni, a former MMC.
DA councillor Encee van Huyssteen was removed as the rules committee chairperson and VF Plus councillor, Aranda Nel Buitendag, was also removed as public participation committee chairperson.
The DA said these committees have common purposes to conduct oversight, to be the watchdogs over public funds, to maintain order in the council and to do public consultations.
“This, unfortunately, means that the ANC will now be a player and the referee in the management of public funds,” said Jordaan.
The removal of the DA from the MPAC chairpersonship a mere two weeks before the submission of the oversight report by this committee raises suspicions.
This scepticism originated from the MPAC chairperson’s intention to recommend to the council to recover money from the pockets of officials responsible for the irregular expenditure during Quarter 1 and 2 of the 2020/21 financial year, as well as the referral of officials to the disciplinary board for wasting millions of rand in grant funds on failing projects that resulted in the National Treasury withholding several grants from the municipality.
“It is apparent that the ANC continues to try and hold on to power, come hell or high water, by dictating over council processes as if they are not accountable to legislation, avoiding transparency at all costs, and now they are dragging the EFF down with them by appointing them as co-rulers,” said Jordaan.
Jordaan said the DA will continue to play their official opposition role as the ruling party to account without fear or favour and they don’t need fancy offices for that.
“The DA has executed its tasks in these portfolios to a new standard of excellence and transparency as we raised public awareness on the functions of municipal committees for the first time.
“We will continue to advocate for transparency and good governance, and campaign for an overwhelming majority that would showcase the DA difference at the doorstep of frustrated and hopeless residents of Govan Mbeki Municipality who continue to suffer without the delivery of services,” said Jordaan.
The DA is heading to the Middelburg High Court today, June 21, to remove Magagamela as speaker.
