After 3 attempts, still no muni meeting
Due to a lack of quorum, the Makhado Municipal Council failed to have another council meeting for the third consecutive time, due to a lack of council members.
LIMPOPO – For a third consecutive time, a sitting of the Makhado Municipal Council collapsed and had to be called off because of the lack of a quorum last Wednesday.
The failed meeting on February 14 followed those of January 31 and December 21 respectively, with several ANC and opposition party councillors last week again not present. The DA, as the official opposition in the council, has accused newly elected speaker Gumani Mukwevho of failing to comply with the Council Code of Conduct and has called for her resignation. A motion of no confidence was consequently submitted on February 5. Aggrieved ANC councillors have sent a letter of complaint to the ANC’s regional and provincial offices, requesting intervention.
On February 13, a day ahead of the last scheduled sitting, the ANC sent delegates to the Makhado Municipality to address concerned councillors. The delegation was led by the MEC for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Rodgers Monama, ANC Vhembe secretary Rudzani Ludere, and Vhembe deputy chairperson Samuel Munyai. Some councillors were seemingly not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, which led them to boycott the next day’s council meeting.
DA councillor in the Makhado council Glenda Furumele has now called upon Corporate Governance to intervene, accusing the ANC councillors of failing to resolve their internal issues. “We feel deeply disappointed about the failure of the council sitting,” said Furumele, adding that this was stifling service delivery. The MEC for Corporate Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Basikopo Makamu, must intervene quickly in this situation, Furumele said.
Councillor Dan Singo from the International Revelation Congress (IRC) expressed concern too, stating: “Since we have been invited to a special council meeting until now, nothing has happened. No council sitting, [and the] reason behind all this is division within the ruling party councillors themselves. Let them resolve their issues, and we can start to work as a council”.
Ludere confirmed in a radio interview on February 15 that some ANC councillors had failed to attend the council meeting. Ludere added that the cause of the problem might be based in a letter of grievances they “sent us, which stated differences among themselves”.
Ludere added that some of the issues raised by councillors had been evaluated. “We found that it has been happening since 2021 during the first council meeting.
“We are still processing the issue, and what they mentioned in the letter is an internal matter for the party.”
