The majority of councillors in Mogale City have boycotted a council meeting where a new mayor was to have been elected on Wednesday.
The former DA mayor‚ Michael Holenstein‚ was removed in a motion of no confidence conducted by secret ballot last week.
Without the councillors of the DA‚ the EFF‚ the Freedom Front Plus and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)‚ the council does not have a quorum.
The ANC’s 38 councillors represent only 50% of the council. The multi-party government has the required 50% plus one vote needed for a quorum.
Holenstein’s removal was made possible after one of the councillors voted with the ANC to give the motion of no confidence the necessary 39 votes.
DA councillors have undergone voluntary lie detector tests to establish which councillor voted with the ANC.
The governing parties voted in different colour pens‚ to be able to track where the leak is.
The governing parties refused to attend the meeting because they say the speaker‚ the ANC’s Patrick Lipudi‚ is not neutral.
Amanda de Lange‚ FF Plus councillor‚ says they cannot allow the speaker to manipulate the municipality.
The budget and the integrated development plan were also tabled for the council meeting.
The municipality is already non-compliant with the Municipal Finance Management Act. If the budget is not passed by July 1‚ the municipality can be placed under administration.
– BusinessLIVE
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