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Opposition parties in another attempt to remove Ekurhuleni mayor
Parties in Ekurhuleni claim that the city has deteriorated under the leadership of Mayor Sivuyile Ngodwana.
Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Sivuyile Ngodwana in Kempton Park, 5 October 2023. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen
ActionSA in the City of Ekurhuleni said the ANC supports the removal of the mayor of Ekurhuleni Sivuyile Ngodwana.
ActionSA caucus leader Siyanda Makhubo said opposition parties in council had the support of the ANC in removing Ngodwana from the seat of power on Tuesday.
End of ANC-EFF coalition?
This will be a third attempt to remove Ngodwana as mayor.
“The ANC is still on board as well as other opposition parties, except the EFF,” he said.
ALSO READ: Councilors throw objects, ‘howl’ and ‘steal mayor’s phone’ at chaotic Ekurhuleni council meeting
The ANC is in a coalition with the EFF in the metro.
Makhubo said he and other party leaders had engaged the Speaker of Council Nthabiseng Tshivenga on her conduct as Speaker. He said Tshivenga promised to respect the rules of council and ensure that controversial debates in council, such as the fitness of the mayor, take place fairly.
“She promised that she will uphold the rules of council but we expected her to say that because the council meeting has collapsed under her watch,” Makhubo said.
Will ANC take a stand?
Meanwhile the ANC in Ekurhuleni said it was prepared to remove the current leadership of the municipality and replace it with a government that works.
At the weekend President Cyril Ramaphosa was in Ekurhuleni campaigning for the ANC. He told reporters that he had noted the disorder in the governance of the City of Ekurhuleni but also said the ANC would rather be in the opposition benches than to be part of a dysfunctional government.
ALSO READ: ANC rethinks Ekurhuleni coalition with EFF
The Citizen reached out to the ANC in the region about how the party would vote in Tuesday’s motion.
ANC RTT convenor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza said the ANC had a great track record from the time it governed the City of Ekurhuleni single handedly.
Xhakaza maintained that the ANC was the majority party in council and should be allowed to govern. He was not clear about how the party would vote on Tuesday.
“We are able to offer stability in council and we will take the lead in council on Tuesday,” he said.
The City of Ekurhuleni has been under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons recently, including poor financial management, not paying service providers and poorly maintained parks and cemeteries.
