Cracks showing in Joburg coalition

GAUTENG MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Lebogang Maile is demanding answers from the City of Joburg’s speaker, Vasco da Gama, following a chaotic council meeting which was meant to elect Section 79 committee chairs.

This after the meeting descended into chaos on Thursday when several ANC and EFF members protested against Da Gama’s decision that voting for the positions of chair of chairs and committees should be through a show of hands.

ANC and EFF members broke into song as a sign of protest, and councillors wrestled with each other in the council chambers in full view of the media and guests. Other councillors threw bottles at DA councillors, including in the direction of Da Gama.

Due to the chaos, Da Gama postponed the council meeting until Tuesday.

Insiders told Independent Media that Ga Gama’s insistence on a show of hands was aimed at avoiding what happened at the City of Ekurhuleni, where the EFF turned against the DA and voted for ANC councillors to chair most of the Section 79 committees.

Yesterday, Maile’s spokesperson

Lupi Ngcayisa confirmed that the MEC had written a formal letter to Da Gama requesting him to provide him with a comprehensive report on the collapse of the council meeting.

“As the MEC responsible for local government in the province, MEC Maile deems the events that transpired on the day in a very serious light.”

Da Gama confirmed that he had received Maile’s letter at about 11am yesterday, saying he was quick to write letters. “I am going to respond to him,” he said.

He, however, said he had convened a special council meeting on Tuesday to resolve the impasse.

Da Gama admitted that the Municipal Systems Act was silent on the voting method, but the City of Joburg had its own rule, saying he had the final decision to determine the voting method.

According to Da Gama, in the City’s history, voting for chair of chairs and committee chairs was through a show of hands.

But this has angered the ANC, EFF and AIC.

The ANC caucus leader Mpho Moerane blamed Da Gama for the collapse of the council meeting, saying his party was “utterly sickened by the withholding of democratic processes in council by the DA, where a commotion has ensued as a result of the refusal of a secret ballot voting process by the speaker of council”.

“This is going against the majority by attempting to impose voting by a show of hands, without substantial argument.

“ANC councillors along with other opposition and minority parties requested a secret ballot, a method that was used to elect both the speaker of council, the mayor and chief whip, to start voting for the chair of chairs and Section 79 committee chairpersons that hold the executive accountable through their oversight role,” Moerane said.

He said “the tyranny elements of the Democratic Alliance” continued to undermine and mock the national Struggle for liberation and democratic processes, and sought to deny the residents of Johannesburg service delivery and accountability.

“The ANC condemns the actions of the Democratic Alliance with absolute contempt and their erosion of capacity at the expense of the residents of Johannesburg,” Moerane said.

Similar views were expressed by Margaret Arnolds of the African Independent Congress and leader of minority parties in the council.

The EFF also blamed Da Gama for the collapse of the meeting.