EFF expels six Mogale City councillors for voting with ANC
'These councillors not only helped for a Council meeting quorum to be constituted, they also voted in favour of the proposed ANC budget.'
EFF leader Julius Melama addresses supporters, 9 June 2017, outside the Johannesburg Central Police Station after laying criminal charges against Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba who he says is a facilitator of state capture. Picture: Michel Bega
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has announced that it has decided to expel its Mogale City councillors following a disciplinary meeting held on Saturday.
The six councillors have been expelled for “defying” the organisation by voting with the ANC.
“On the 11th of July 2017, six EFF Councillors contravened the EFF decision not to attend the Mogale City Budget vote Council meeting in which the ANC needed its budget to be passed. These councillors not only helped for a Council meeting quorum to be constituted, they also voted in favour of the proposed ANC budget,” it said.
The party said the councillors helped return the public purse into the hands of the ANC, which was removed by government in the 2016 local government elections.
In the 2016 local government elections, the DA secured 27 seats‚ the EFF got nine‚ the IFP two and the Freedom Front Plus one.
The opposition together have 39 seats and the ANC has 38.
“The mandate not to vote with ANC was consistent with fighting corruption as reflected in our non-negotiable cardinal pillar number seven. Thus, these six councillors, namely Ms Nhlanhla Shilubane, Ms Nomonde Nkatu, Ms Lemogang Modisane, Mr Eric Baloyi, Mr Edward Motsitsi and Mr Simanga Mkhumbeni, essentially betrayed our revolutionary tenant. Accordingly, they have been expelled.”
The party said it would communicate with Mogale City municipal manager to declare the six vacancies so the EFF could replace all the councillors.
The Mogale City council had been struggling to pass its budget after the EFF, DA and IFP refused to participate in the vote.
At one stage, the ANC-led council had to postpone the budget and integrated development planning (IDP) after the opposition coalition boycotted the council sitting.
But in a surprise move on July 11, six of nine EFF councillors voted in favour of the budget despite an instruction from their party not to do so.
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