eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda lives to survive another week in office

An urgent motion to remove eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has been postponed until it can be heard in a physical meeting.

This was the decision after councillors opposed the matter being heard in a virtual context during Tuesday’s council meeting, as the number of attendees could not be verified.

The motion was filed by the Active Citizens Coalition (ACC), citing dissatisfaction with Kaunda's leadership over the past year.

ACC president Imtiaz Syed said the mayor's response to the April floods and the addressing of ageing infrastructure, which led to the closure of a number of beaches during the December holidays, was unsatisfactory.

During Tuesday’s virtual council meeting, Abantu Batho Congress leader Philani Mavundla asked council speaker Thabani Nyawose to verify whether all 190 council members who reported to be in the meeting were present. He asked Nyawose to have each councillor confirm their presence on screen.

However, that was opposed by the ANC’s Nkosenhle Madlala, who said it would take the whole day.

Nyawose concurred, saying the council had used this system for almost a year without any issues.

The option to postpone the motion to a physical meeting was raised by the IFP’s Jonathan Annipen.

ActionSA’s Zakhele Mncwango said there was a possibility the results of this motion could be reviewed in court if it went ahead in a virtual setting, since the speaker’s office could not independently verify the number of councillors attending the meeting.

He argued that councillors should vote with their conscience in a such a matter, while virtual voting called for a bloc-vote.

DA caucus leader Nyawose echoed Mncwango’s sentiments, saying the numbers provided by party whips could not necessarily be trusted.

“Can you make sure that this is held in person. You are relying on numbers that were provided by party whips, none of you can verify them. The ANC has a history of amplifying their numbers, even in physical meetings,” he said.

However, the council’s head of legal and compliance, Malusi Mhlongo, said Mncwango was worried about a matter that happened in the National Assembly, whose rules do not necessarily apply in the council. He said the speaker could have a final say using the council’s bylaws.

Nyawose suggested councillors deliberate on it and after African Democratic Change and other parties supported postponing the motion, no councillor said they were against the decision.

The speaker will announce a date for a new meeting to be held within seven days.

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