Mashaba seeks disciplinary action over ANC council boycott

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba plans to report the entire ANC caucus to the council’s ethics committee after the party boycotted a council sitting.

Mashaba said the stay-away was unconstitutional.

“I have begun to commission a complaint to the Ethics Committee which refers the entire ANC Caucus for disciplinary action based on their efforts to undermine their Constitutional responsibilities‚” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mashaba accused the ANC of being deliberately obstructive.

“Today’s Special Council was decided upon‚ with the ANC present‚ during last week’s Ordinary Council meeting. This was required because of the deliberate efforts of the ANC to delay the proceedings of that Council meeting‚” he said. “One has to ask what could be more important for the ANC than ensuring their Councillors attend to the needs of residents in Johannesburg or their oversight role of the Executive?

“This is only the latest in a string of many attempts by the ANC Caucus to disrupt the business of Council. On numerous occasions the ANC has walked out of Council in its bid to collapse meetings and prevent the work of government.”

Mashaba said the Constitutional Court had ruled‚ in the case of the Tlokwe municipality that councillors who “deliberately collapsed the quorum of council‚ for narrow political interests‚ were guilty of breaching the code of conduct and their oath of office.”

He added: “The ANC’s continued conduct within Council today only serves to illustrate the depths to which the ANC will sink in order to achieve their own political ends at the expense of our residents. Across political divides‚ residents of Johannesburg wish to see elected representatives engaging in deliberations about the matters that impact on their lived experiences.

“The biggest losers in this situation aren’t the Council members who take their role seriously and therefore arrive for scheduled Council sittings‚ the biggest losers in this situation are the residents of our city.”

The mayor accused the ANC of a plot against his administration.

“It is clear that the ANC hasn’t learnt from the election outcome in 2016 and still continue to place their political objectives ahead of the residents of our City. Their efforts are aimed at creating an environment where their colleagues in Provincial Government can intervene in the City of Johannesburg‚” he said.

“This kind of collaboration has been evident in the last two weeks in which members of the Provincial Government‚ sit alongside ANC Councillors in Johannesburg and speak brazenly of their wishes to place the City of Johannesburg under administration.”

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