Speaker of council accused of disrupting council proceedings

The DA in Ekurhuleni has accused the speaker of council Nthabiseng Tshivhenga of deliberately trying to create disorder and disrupt council proceedings after the adjournment of the February council meeting.

The DA had demanded that Tshivhenga reconvene the February 27 meeting, which she cut short.

“If the speaker fails to do so, we will engage all the parties in council to invoke Section 29 (1) of the Municipal Structures Act, which allows the municipal manager or a designated person appointed by the MEC for local government to call and chair the meeting,” said DA Ekurhuleni caucus chief whip Lucky Dinake.

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The meeting, which Tshivhenga adjourned, was scheduled to discuss an in-committee item on the alleged misconduct and fraudulent activity within the office of the speaker.

According to Dinake, the EMPD had provided key findings from an investigation implicating the speaker in potential corrupt activities.

“We suspect the speaker will use her position to silence the report,” Dinake added.

During the adjourned council meeting, the DA raised concerns and called for the speaker to recuse herself while they discussed the item, but she refused.

In response to the DA’s accusations, Tshivhenga explained her decision not to recuse herself, “As council, we must follow proper procedures. The matter is before the courts, and the accused was arrested.

“We cannot debate the matter while it’s being legally processed. We need to let the process run its course,” she said.

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Tshivhenga also confirmed that she would call for an extraordinary council meeting to address the issue, promising to share the report with all the members.

“As a council, we need to prioritise our residents. Letting such issues distract us from our core duties benefits no one.

“The matter will be dealt with, but we must ensure the city remains stable to continue service delivery,” Tshivhenga added.

The report details how executive secretary Salome Lekalakala allegedly defrauded a service provider by convincing them to deposit money into her bank account between August and October 2024. Lekalakala reportedly promised the company municipal work in exchange for the payment.

The scam was uncovered when the service provider approached the finance department in Germiston to enquire about unpaid invoices. Officials discovered the orders were fake and traced them to the speaker’s office.