Will it be ANC or MHRF? Town on proverbial seat edge ahead of tomorrows inaugural sitting
Steve Tshwete's council has never been more “clueless” than now, with parties still deciding on who to vote to power, the ANC or MHRF?
Middelburg is holding its collective breath in regards to tomorrow’s first official council sitting for incoming councilors, hoping that an opposition coalition could unseat the ANC as ruling party.
Opposition parties have been in ongoing discussion over a possible vote to elect the MHRF into ceremonial positions of mayor, speaker and chief whip, with the DA having declined the positions.
Rumours that the DA will rise to power are untrue, with the party eyeing portfolio committee chairmanships, instead of leadership positions in council and the mayoral committee.
The DA, MHRF and EFF have agreed, in principle to support a vote tomorrow to unseat the ANC as ruling party. No formal agreement has however been reached, and like residents, incoming councilors are also waiting with bated breath to see which way the vote will swing.
Both the DA and EFF will have the deciding votes, with the MHRF trusting that the vote will go in its favour.
The incoming council will also be one of the most inexperienced councils elected in the past two decades.
A staggering 19 out of the ANC’s 21 councilors are new, while the EFF has also made significant changes by bouncing its former caucus leader, Enos Sebesho, to the Nkangala District Council.
The EFF has gained three new seats, bringing the party’s representation to nine seats. In the FF+ caucus, two of the party’s seats have been allocated to political novices.
Council will also welcome independent councilor, Thomas Mpye, back to council while former ANC stalwarts Ben Mokoena and Rehana Pilodia will also head back to council on the MHRF ticket.
The DA retained its previous 17 seats, retaining veterans like Hennie Niemann, Johann Dyason, Jos Pretorius, San-Mari Wait and Anphia Grobler.
In the absence of a formal, signed agreement, none of the parties in council can predict how tomorrow’s vote will actually go. The EFF, DA, FF+ and MHRF, however, all said they would not support the ANC.
The ANC is facing an uphill battle in council with the exit of the party’s most senior councilors like former chief whip Semakaleng Nkadimeng and Mayor Diphala Motsepe, among others.
The sitting will start at 11:00, with regular updates on www.mobserver.co.za.
