Tshwane Speaker scraps second motion for his removal

The special council meeting to consider a motion of no confidence against the Tshwane speaker was adjourned on Wednesday.

Speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana adjourned the special sitting brought about by a petition spearheaded by the multiparty coalition.

“In light of a resignation – it is my opinion that this meeting does not hold the minimum requirements cited on the petition according to the Municipal Structures Act,” Ndzwanana said.

On April 6, city manager Johann Mettler made a declaration of a vacancy following the resignation of ward 83 councillor, Francois Bekker.

“The Local Government Municipal Structures Act stipulates that a councillor vacates office during a term of office if that councillor is no longer qualified to be a councillor.

“Therefore, the resignation of councillor Bekker has resulted in the occurrence of a vacancy in ward 83, Pretoria east.”

Ndzwanana said since the resignation of DA member, Bekker last week, the petition did not meet the required number to hold for a vote.

Bekker was the councillor for ward 83 in Pretoria east areas of Erasmuskloof, Erasmus Park, Moreletapark and Newlands.

“There has also been a question regarding the validity and stamping of Bekker’s signature. Furthermore, there is a minimum threshold for the petition to hold the vote according to the Municipal Structures Act,” said Ndzwanana.

He said there was a urgent court application by the multiparty coalition in the Pretoria high court to force the Speaker to abstain from presiding over the motion, however, the court dismissed the matter.

This was the second motion attempt by the multiparty coalition to oust Ndzwanana.

Last month he scrapped a meeting that was supposed to determine his political future in a motion of no confidence on suspicion that 10 signatures on a petition calling for the meeting were forged.

The vacancy in ward 83 arises at a point when the previously vacant ward 105 was recently filled.

The Bronkhorstspruit ward was contested by DA, EFF and ANC.

ANC councillor Kgangelo Phiri was elected the people’s choice.

Another special council meeting was scheduled for April 13 to consider an adjustment budget for the financial year 2022/23 and the draft medium term revenue and expenditure framework (MTREF) for 2023/24.

Gauteng Treasury granted Tshwane a second extension to table the adjustment budget by April 14, after it failed to meet previous deadline which was set for March 24.

Metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba previously said the province had set a deadline for the metro to collect revenue from its debtors especially its own councillors and other municipal officials who as of of March owed around R28.9-million collectively.

Bokaba said the treasury department had instructed Tshwane to table the mid-year adjustment and the 2023/2024 financial year budgets by April 14.

He said the implications of not tabling the adjustment budget are that the metro cannot move funds to cover the shortfall in key service delivery areas such as waste collection, watchmen and rudimentary services.

Any unbudgeted expenditure incurred is regarded as unauthorised for audit purposes.

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