New bid to oust mayor
Dave Savides
THE final showdown in the battle for
total control of the uMhlathuze City council
is imminent.
Next Thursday will see a special Executive
Committee (Exco) meeting at which the ANC
has tabled a motion to dismiss IFP Mayor -
Denny Moffatt.
The IFP has in turn submitted motions to
dismiss ANC Speaker - Elphas Mbatha and ANC
Deputy Mayor - Celiwe Madlophe.
A massive fight is on the cards next week,
almost certainly to be accompanied by a
protracted legal battle.
It has been an uneasy state of affairs from
the start, with the shaky hung committee
plagued by bickering and even a walkout over
proportional representation in Exco.
Both senior parties rely on alliances in the
60-member council, with the ANC (28 seats)
having enjoyed the support of Nadeco (2) and
the IFP (24 seats) that of the DA (4), ACDP
(1) and Freedom Front Plus (1), giving a
30-30 split after the last local government
elections.
Seats in Exco then settled at ANC 5 (of
which one was given to Nadeco), IFP 4 and DA
1.
An unexpected ‘traitor’ vote gave Moffatt
the position of Mayor after the ANC took
both the Deputy Mayor and Speaker positions
by a 31-29 margin.
Majority
While the issue of who might cross party
lines will again be a major factor, central
to Thursday’s debate will be the number of
votes required to approve the motions.
The ANC argues that a simple majority will
suffice, as this is ‘the Constitutional
requirement at all levels of government’.
However, the City’s standing orders call for
a two-thirds majority. Should the motion to
expel Moffatt from Exco succeed - and hence
from his position as Mayor - the ANC says it
will proceed ‘immediately’ with a
re-election.
‘We won 60 per cent of the elected seats and
deserve to be in control of this
municipality,’ said a spokesman.
‘We are simply fighting to see that the will
of the majority of voters is implemented.’
