DA court action averted following lengthy council meeting
A timely phone call from the Speaker of the Polokwane Municipality, Mariri Raletefane, in all likelihood prevented the DA from taking legal action, following an unruly council meeting last Tuesday.
POLOKWANE – The DA’s Acting Caucus Leader, Franco Marx, said a special council meeting would be held to discuss issues not properly discussed at the last meeting, which was continuous disrupted by members of the EFF.
Read more: Watch as sparks fly at muni council meeting
Marx said attorneys had been consulted to institute court proceedings after he had mentioned in council that the party would take legal action where points and motions introduced by the DA were not addressed but instead, set aside.
In 2017, the DA lodged an urgent application at the Polokwane High Court when the municipality did not adopt the budget for the 2017/18 financial year through due process in council. This resulted in council having to reconsider the budget, tariffs and related policies, during a special council meeting.
The DA, who walked out of the council meeting at around 21:00 last Tuesday, was initially said to have contemplated tabling a motion of no confidence in the Speaker, whom they believe was unable to bring order to the unruly councillors, but this was refuted by Marx.
The marathon council meeting ended at 23:00.
Marx told Review he had received a phone call from the Speaker and that they met on Thursday.
“Issues that had not been adressed will now be discussed at a special council meeting. The outcomes of the Thursday meeting were satisfactory and we parted amicably.”
Marx did not want to elaborate on the discussions. A date for the special council meeting has not yet been determined, but will in all probability be in February, according to Marx.
No comment was received from the Speaker’s office at the time of going to print.