ANC threatens lawsuit over Solly Msimanga no-confidence vote

The ANC caucus within the Tshwane metro is threatening to take the council speaker to court after she declined to grant a secret vote in the latest motion of no confidence against mayor Solly Msimanga.

Speaker Katlego Mathebe made the ruling after hearing the arguments for and against the secret ballot during a heated meeting on Thursday at which the ANC sought to oust Msimanga‚ claiming he was the DA's corruption poster boy amid alleged tender irregularities.

The ANC pushed for secret vote in the hope that this would allow disgruntled members of the DA caucus to vote for the removal of their own mayor.

On its own‚ the ANC cannot vote Msimanga out of office as they only have 89 seats. The DA has 93‚ the EFF 25 and the FF Plus has four seats. The ACDP‚ Cope‚ and PAC have one seat each.

“In this council we have always voted openly by the show of hands. I rule that the voting will be open by the show of hands‚” said Mathebe.

There was a thunderous applause from the DA benches after Mathebe's ruling‚ which did not go down well with the ANC.

Councillor Mapiti Matsena immediately rose from his seat and declared that the ANC “reserve the right to take you to court”.

The council then adjourned for lunch‚ with voting expected to get under way when the council sitting resumed later in the afternoon.

Earlier‚ ANC councillor Lesego Makhubela said the environment in the politics of Tshwane was toxic.

He said councillors needed to be protected from intimidation - but Mathebe dismissed this in her ruling‚ saying there was no toxicity in the council.

This is the ANC’s second attempt to oust Msimanga following the collapse of the first attempt last month after the EFF’s motion of no confidence against Msimanga was found not to be compliant with the rules of council.

The ANC subsequently abandoned its own motion‚ resulting in Msimanga surviving to fight another day.

The ANC and EFF have accused Msimanga’s administration of corruption after reports pointing to the alleged irregular awarding of the R12bn infrastructure management tender to consultancy firm GladAfrica.

Msimanga has also faced stern criticism for irregular appointments of top officials in the metro.