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ANC tightens the belt with R10 000 fines for tardiness

A surprise was waiting for three coucillors at the coucil sitting in Hendrina when they were slapped with hefty fines for tardiness.

December 8, 2018

Gerhard Rheeder and Sjani Campher 1 minute read

Held at the Cosmos Hall on 27 November two EFF Coucillors and one of ANC’s own were each fined R10 000 for missing three consecutive sittings without formal apology.

Calls for the expulsion of EFF Coucillor Ms Poppy Mailola are being looked into after she missed three consecutive council sittings and three Infrastructure Development Portfolio Comittee meetings without pro forma applications.

Councillor Mailola stated in her defense that her absence was due to first her own illness and then the illness of her child. Despite the EFF’s appeals for lenience Committee Chairman, Mr Maruma Sekgwele recommended that Ms Mailola be expelled “to focus on the important matters keeping her busy at home, at the cost of the electorate.”

ANC Councillor Johanna Mitchell and EFF Councillor Akhona Mangcotywa also begged for leniency but despite their excuses the fines were imposed.

The matter surrounding Ms Mailola’s expulsion was referred to Cooperative Governance MEC, Mr Speedy Mashilo.

Ms Mailola retaliated by demanding that the decision be finalised there and then but Speaker Andries Mabena called her to order, stating that she would remain in council until the MEC’s ruling.

Mr Mabena then proceeded to issue final warnings to fellow ANC members over ill-discipline on the grounds of a previous sitting where then Speaker Robert Xaba, said he felt like he was “presiding over a creche”.