File
A majority of councillors in Nelson Mandela Bay have rejected the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance, Xolile Nqata's proposal to amend the mayoral structure of the Metro.
The MEC wrote to Council announcing his intention to amend a Section 12 notice, or Establishment Notice as its known, citing ongoing instability in the Metro.
In terms of this Section, the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs must establish a municipality in each municipal area, and must, among other things, determine whether it will have a collective or executive mayoral system.
But, on Friday, 65 councillors roundly rejected the proposal during a vote at a Special Council meeting. Irate opposition parties slated the move as a tactic by the ANC to cling to power in the Bay.
The FF Plus's Bill Harrington said they will not and cannot support a biased ANC collective executive type of government.
DA councillor and Mayoral candidate Retief Oodendaal said the MEC's proposal needs to be treated with the contempt it deserves.
"The DA will challenge this process if the MEC wants to push it through. I think that Salga needs to provide the MEC with sound advice as to the effect this will have for the people of Nelson Mandela Bay and the chaos that will ensue should it be forced through," he said.
Odendaal said the very essence of democracy in Nelson Mandela Bay is at stake.
"I want to assure the people of Nelson Mandela Bay and of the political parties represented here in council that the DA will do everything in its ability to represent their interests. We have to fight for democracy here, we cannot be dictated to and be controlled by a tyrant that sits somewhere else that wants to undermine the democratic fibre of this council," Odendaal added.
ACDP leader in the Metro Lance Grootboom said it was the ANC that was responsible for the current instability in Nelson Mandela Bay, and no one else.
"In the last term before the new elections, he said that there was again instability, who caused it after September 2018 up until 2020 the ANC was in charge. They brought about instability this was quoted by the MEC," he said.
The UDM also joined other parties in rejecting the MEC's proposal.
Meanwhile, the South African Local Government Association gave a presentation on Nqata's intention regarding the Section 12 amendment, and the implications thereof.
One of the points noted was the need for a framework to guide political parties and independent councillors on the formation and sustainability of coalitions.
Salga's Lance Joel also noted that a key focus of a coalition framework will be to resolve challenges of instability and encourage cooperation.
However, he would not be drawn on questions from political parties on the reasons behind the MEC's intention to make these amendments.
Acting Speaker, Heinrich Muller, said MEC Nqata has the "right to come here and present the proposal and amendment to us" which is expected to take place at a full Council meeting later this month.
