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The ANC’s Regional Task Team in Nelson Mandela said it rejected the election of DA Provincial leader, Nqaba Bhanga as the city’s new mayor.
ANC RTT spokesperson, Luyolo Nqakula said: “the desperation of the DA and its allies to declare Nqaba Bhanga as an Executive Mayor under purported Acting Speaker Marlon Daniels is not only flawed and unlawful as it is not in line with the Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998 (36) (3).”
He called on the Provincial Government through the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to “expose the purported election of an Acting Speaker and Executive Mayor for what it is” and not allow what he said was “the lawlessness that has a potential to undermine our constitutional democracy.”
The ANC RTT also condemned the incident in which the Speaker, Buyelwa Mafaya, was forced out of the Council chamber by three men during Friday’s Special Council meeting.
“The Council meeting was characterised by gross criminality and an incident of Gender-Based Violence,” he said, while also condemning the threats made against the Acting City Manager and his family.
“This behaviour must be understood as treasonous and a direct attack on the democracy and as such at all material times the ANC is duty-bound to defend the democratic project as not only a custodian but a critical architect of it,” Nqakula said.
He said the ANC Regional Task Team has requested the Speaker to open a criminal case and for the municipality and all other law enforcement agencies to expedite investigations so that those responsible can held accountable.
The Council meeting is expected to reconvene this week.
