Last Thursday’s joint portfolio committee meeting left councillors divided and confused.
Rather than the ordinary council meeting, it was scheduled as a joint portfolio committee meeting was held at the Wembezi Multipurpose Centre.
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The speaker was Mr B Khanyile – Chairperson of the Co-operate Portfolio. He explained that any chairperson of a portfolio can chair such a meeting. With all portfolios well represented, the meeting got underway.
The Municipal Manager, Mr Mkhize announced an apology of behalf on the Mayor for being unable to attend as she attended an Operation Sukuma Sakhe project with legislature members. One of the councillors was more concerned that the Administrator, Thandolwethu Manda was not present.
Councillor Khabazela said: “The municipality is still under administration and the Administrator has to be present.”
In an attempt to give clarity, Mr Mkhize explained that the meeting was set up by the Administrator, adding that the most important reason was for the 2018/9 financial year budget to be presented.
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Council broke out in chaos as councillors refused to continue the meeting without Mr Manda.
“More of these kinds of meetings are yet to come, to discuss things of common ground. We are anticipating a new Administrator to be appointed but it is not official yet,” said Mr Mkhize.
Councillor Khabazela wanted to know if the meeting isn’t a fruitless exercise.
“Let us not do anything that will come back to haunt us. What meeting is this? We aren’t even prepared for it,” commented Councillor Edith Lite.
To continue, or not to continue – this divided the councillors. The Municipal Manager asked for council to consider the implications, a few of which were competence issues that will be placed on hold, as well as that council cannot sit until an Administrator is present.
Council still opted to discontinue the meeting. Some of the matters that needed to be submitted for consideration, which affects everyone, were the financial performance quarterly report and the upper limits for councillors.
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