Ekurhuleni Speaker of council survives motion of no confidence
The DA is disappointed in the IFP after the latter filed a motion against the speaker and then withdrew it.
The speaker of the Ekurhuleni council, Nthabiseng Tshivhenga, dodged a second bullet of a motion of no confidence after the IFP withdrew their motion last Thursday at the council meeting.
Tshivhenga faced the same fate last March when the DA filed a motion against her, alleging she protected fellow EFF councillors accused of assaulting ANC members during a February council session.
According to the IFP Gauteng secretary, Ildo Ngobeze, they withdrew the motion to let the political parties that promised to support it consult with their leaders. Ngobeze claimed the speaker did not take the IFP seriously in council and favoured the EFF.
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“The speaker is partisan. Since she took office, she has not invited us and smaller parties to her office to discuss issues, including those of the legislature,” said Ngobeze.
He added that she had failed to protect councillors inside the council, “She has failed to keep proper decorum, schedules and resolutions in council. She has failed to ensure conduct as expected because councillors in the city chambers were assaulted and physically injured under her watch when she had the authority to protect them,” he said.
On November 30, 2023, a fight erupted between the EFF councillors and DA after DA councillor Danie Putter made racist remarks toward EFF councillors.
Ngobese said withdrawing the motion now does not mean they would not resubmit it. Once all parties in support have consulted, resubmission is a possibility.
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The DA supporting the IFP’s motion was disappointed with the withdrawal.
“The IFP’s decision to withdraw their motion is a blow to councils’ integrity. The EFF speaker has, on many occasions, allowed the council to descend into chaos, including allowing the EFF councillors to assault DA councillors in November 2023.
“The IFP’s withdrawal is based on political alliances and self-interests instead of putting the residents first,” said DA CoE caucus leader Clr Brandon Pretorius.
He said the speaker was derelict in her duties by refusing to place the crucial election of the finance chairperson on the council agenda within the stipulated timeframe, ultimately jeopardising the city’s financial stability.
The DA said the speaker’s removal could have given the council a renewed opportunity to re-establish council decorum.
Tshivhenga said the withdrawal humbled her because people reviewed and rethought the consequences that could have followed.
“After being found guilty of not dealing with the matter satisfactorily, I apologised to the council.
“A motion is not innocent; the IFP might be reaching out to us. This is an opportunity to reach out to them to talk about their concerns,” said Tshivhenga.
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Meanwhile, the ANC’s Jongizizwe Dlabathi said they didn’t support the motion because they did not believe there was sufficient basis to support it.
“We are in a collaborative arrangement with the EFF in the metro. They expressed that they did not support the motion to remove their deployee. Morally, and in principle, we respect their decision.
They will be subjected to party-to-party discussions should there be any changes we believe must happen,” said Dlabathi.
