Pretoria - The speaker of the Tshwane council, Mncedi Ndzwanana, has given in to the multiparty coalition’s legal threats to force him to convene a special council sitting to deliberate on a motion of no confidence against him.
The coalition filed urgent court papers in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, against his refusal to call council meetings, to hear a motion of no confidence against himself, and to adopt budgets.
Coalition partners, which include ActionSA, the DA, IFP, FF-Plus and ACDP, said they had presented Ndzwanana with petitions signed by a majority of councillors calling for a meeting to discuss a motion of no confidence in the speaker on April 12, and to table budgets on April 13.
“Despite this, in a written response the speaker originally refused to issue the notices for these meetings in what is blatantly an effort to frustrate the majority of the multi-party coalition at the behest of the ANC and EFF, who continue to pull his strings to destabilise governance in Tshwane.”
Last Thursday, Ndzwanana released a media statement, indicating that he would preside over a vote of no motion against him on Wednesday, after 108 councillors affiliated to the multiparty coalition petitioned him to convene a special meeting to debate his removal.
Coalition partners legally sought to interdict the speaker from adjourning or interfering with the council meeting to consider the motion of no confidence in himself.
They further wanted the court to order the speaker and all councillors not to participate in any unlawful conduct aimed at disrupting this week’s council meetings.
The application stated that a punitive costs order was sought against the speaker for his unlawful conduct necessitating the urgent court application.
“Since filing our urgent court papers the speaker of council has called the meetings for April 12 and 13 as directed by the petitions, and this is undoubtedly a product of our legal papers and their prospects of success.
“We will continue to litigate to ensure that the meetings are not disrupted and that any person who attempts to do so is held in contempt of court,” the coalition said.
A coalition attempt to remove the speaker would be contrary to the EFF’s stance and a revolt can be expected against newly-elected mayor Cilliers Brink should Ndzwanana be unseated.
Party regional leader Obakeng Ramabodu said: “The speaker has hardly spent 20 days in office.
“As much as they want us to give Cilliers Brink 100 days in office, we expect them to give our speaker 100 days.”
The coalition, however, said it rejected the EFF’s proposal with contempt.
Pretoria News