Ekurhuleni DA speaker Raymond Dhlamini ousted again as EFF swoops

Embattled Ekurhuleni DA speaker Raymond Dhlamini has been booted out of the metro again after parties successfully voted in favour of a motion of no confidence against him.

Dhlamini challenged the first removal in the high court in Johannesburg, where the court agreed with his legal arguments that his ousting was unlawful. The former speaker was reinstated days later.

This time the DA member said he would not challenge the removal as it was “democracy in action”.

“I’ve accepted the vote. This time processes were followed,” said Dhlamini.

EFF councillor Nthabiseng Tshivhenga was elected as acting speaker of the metro in a late-night council vote on Thursday.

The majority of councillors from the ANC, EFF and a minority of other political parties voted Dhlamini out, with 139 councillors in support of his removal and 70 against.

Dhlamini’s removal forms part of a broader coalition takeover ploy by the ANC and the EFF in Gauteng’s three metros, Joburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. 

ANC Ekurhuleni regional secretary Moipone Mhlongo confirmed the party was in cahoots with the EFF.

“We welcome the long overdue removal of the DA speaker of council. We believe this is the right move towards the restoration of services to our people in townships, informal settlements and hostels who had been excluded from service delivery by the DA-led coalition,” said Mhlongo.

“We will not rest until the entire DA administration is out of power. Our next stop is the removal of the mayor so we can focus on delivering services to our communities.”

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