The sitting was scheduled for council to consider recommendations by its rules and ethics committee, for a adjourned July sitting during which a motion of no confidence in Speaker Mpye was tabled to continue, after the ANC raised issues over the meeting being chaired by Mr Mnguni.

With the support of two independent legal opinions, the ethics committee recommended that the July sitting be resumed for a vote on the no confidence motion.

During yesterday’s special council, Speaker Mpye took a seat on the floor among fellow councillors.

As the meeting kicked off, Mr Mnguni announced that he had received a letter earlier Wednesday, which read: “I, Thomas Mpye, resign as Speaker of the council. Thank you.”

The sitting could, however, not continue due to squabbles over the interpretation of council’s rules and orders, with Mr Mnguni insisting that an acting speaker needed to be elected to preside over the election of a fulltime speaker.

The ANC disagreed, saying there was no need to elect an acting speaker, calling for an immediate vote on Speaker Mpye’s fulltime replacement.

After a whips meeting, it was decided that a special council will be called within the next 14-days in order to elect a speaker of council.

The Middelburg and Hendrina Residents Front’s Thato Mathunyane is tipped by fellow councillors to become council’s next speaker, as the DA is not allowed to enter into any coalitions to secure political leadership positions.

Cllr Mpye, a church reverend of Hendrina, is council’s only independent councillor.

Cllr Mpye has confirmed his allegiance to the ANC in previous sittings, resulting to the motion of no confidence in him.