A SCHEDULED Executive Committee meeting at Durban City Hall came to an abrupt end on Tuesday when opposition parties walked out of the meeting after questioning the legality of proceedings.
The walk out followed the announcement last week by the ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) that it would remove the ANCs Exco members and fill their vacated seats with new members. However, the members all appeared at Tuesday’s meeting despite the ANC’s decision. . The walk out was led by IFP spokesperson Mdu Nkosi , DA caucus leader Nicole Graham and Party Chief Whip Thabani Mthethwa .
“It is very difficult to have matters come from an Exco that will potentially be dissolved, to a full council meeting, or an Exco that will make different decisions. The membership of Exco has to be finalised before any items about the city’s operations or budget can be decided, said Graham
The refusal of the DA and the IFP to participate in the meeting rendered it inquorate. With the absence of Mayor Zandile Gumede and Councillor Mondli Mthembu, the ANC does not have the numbers for Exco meetings to proceed.
“‘Are the PEC members present here today even legitimate?” asked Nkosi, adding that the ANC had announced that vacancies left by deployed members would be filled within seven days. “Seven days ends today (Tuesday),” he said.
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The opposition parties vowed that until such time as a clear way forward is outlined, it will not be business as usual and they will not participate in “farcical meetings.”
According to Graham, the IFP and DA have been reliably informed that ANC councillors represented on Exco whom the party announced would be redeployed, have refused to resign, leading to a deadlock.
In response to the walkout on Tuesday, acting mayor Fawzia Peer said the public could rest assured that service delivery has not been impeded or affected by the postponement of the Executive Committee meeting, with executive members still acting in their respective portfolios until Council processes are followed for them to be redeployed.
“The Council and Administration are still fully functional. On 29 August we have a scheduled full council meeting where I am sure decisions will be made. Redeployment is a process and we should allow the ANC space for them to make these decisions,” she said.
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