Tshwane's city manager has declared four vacancies for proportional representative (PR) councillors to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Three were ousted from the ActionSA camp.
First to leave was Nkele Molapo, whose party membership was terminated after “friendly relations” with ousted member turned Herman Mashaba rival Abel Tau.
The others, Mandla Mhlana and Mpho Baloyi, were booted later that week after an investigation into how they allegedly defied the party line and voted for former mayor Murunwa Makwarela.
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the investigation had been underway for weeks. It found Mhlana and Baloyi voted for Makwarela on February 28 and newly elected speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana on March 13.
Beaumont cited this as a loss for the ANC/EFF camp because these councillors were found to have betrayed the caucus mandate by voting with the opposition.
COPE member Thabang Sefanyetso was then ushered in, albeit briefly, to replace disgraced former mayor Makwarela, who submitted a fraudulent rehabilitation certificate in an attempt to prove his solvency.
However, party factions in Tshwane are saying vetting has again not been properly conducted following the Makwarela scandal, with some alleging the reputation of his replacement, Sefanyetso, is questionable as he is said to have two IDs and a criminal record.
This has resulted in COPE withdrawing Sefanyetso and declaring a vacancy.
On Friday, a council meeting at which a new mayor was expected to be elected collapsed when the DA/ActionSA cohort walked out due to disgruntlement with city manager Johann Mettler.
Beaumont accused Mettler of refusing to declare the vacancies.
The city has since conceded and declared them.
“Having considered all the developments which occurred during last week’s council meetings, the city manager of Tshwane, Mr Johann Mettler, has written to the Gauteng provincial officer of the Independent Electoral Commission informing him of the declaration of four vacancies for proportional representative councillors. The three vacancies are for ActionSA and one for the Congress of the People ,” it said.
A council meeting took place on Wednesday morning with the intention of electing a mayor.
The DA multiparty coalition said it continued to support former parliamentarian Cilliers Brink for the position, while the ANC/EFF cohort is said to have thrown its weight behind lone candidate Molwantwa Tshabadi from the Pan African Congress (PAC).
As expected, council business was delayed due to break requests taking up the morning. It was expected to resume its duties at midday.
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Four councillor vacancies in Tshwane as mayoral election resumes
Image: Veli Nhlapo
Tshwane's city manager has declared four vacancies for proportional representative (PR) councillors to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Three were ousted from the ActionSA camp.
First to leave was Nkele Molapo, whose party membership was terminated after “friendly relations” with ousted member turned Herman Mashaba rival Abel Tau.
The others, Mandla Mhlana and Mpho Baloyi, were booted later that week after an investigation into how they allegedly defied the party line and voted for former mayor Murunwa Makwarela.
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the investigation had been underway for weeks. It found Mhlana and Baloyi voted for Makwarela on February 28 and newly elected speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana on March 13.
Beaumont cited this as a loss for the ANC/EFF camp because these councillors were found to have betrayed the caucus mandate by voting with the opposition.
COPE member Thabang Sefanyetso was then ushered in, albeit briefly, to replace disgraced former mayor Makwarela, who submitted a fraudulent rehabilitation certificate in an attempt to prove his solvency.
However, party factions in Tshwane are saying vetting has again not been properly conducted following the Makwarela scandal, with some alleging the reputation of his replacement, Sefanyetso, is questionable as he is said to have two IDs and a criminal record.
This has resulted in COPE withdrawing Sefanyetso and declaring a vacancy.
On Friday, a council meeting at which a new mayor was expected to be elected collapsed when the DA/ActionSA cohort walked out due to disgruntlement with city manager Johann Mettler.
Beaumont accused Mettler of refusing to declare the vacancies.
The city has since conceded and declared them.
“Having considered all the developments which occurred during last week’s council meetings, the city manager of Tshwane, Mr Johann Mettler, has written to the Gauteng provincial officer of the Independent Electoral Commission informing him of the declaration of four vacancies for proportional representative councillors. The three vacancies are for ActionSA and one for the Congress of the People ,” it said.
A council meeting took place on Wednesday morning with the intention of electing a mayor.
The DA multiparty coalition said it continued to support former parliamentarian Cilliers Brink for the position, while the ANC/EFF cohort is said to have thrown its weight behind lone candidate Molwantwa Tshabadi from the Pan African Congress (PAC).
As expected, council business was delayed due to break requests taking up the morning. It was expected to resume its duties at midday.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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