Naziziphiwo Buso
The ANC, EFF and other opposition parties in the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) council are confident that a new mayor will be in the hot seat on Monday.
This is despite a looming legal challenge to the legality of the motion of no confidence against the governing coalition.
Sixty-two councillors petitioned for a special council meeting in order to debate a motion of no confidence against the leadership of the 10-party coalition.
However, DA councillor and executive mayor, Retief Odendaal, took to Facebook on Wednesday to say that the motion is incompetent and that there would be no council meeting on Monday.
In a letter seen by Algoa FM News to Bay speaker, Gary van Niekerk, and municipal manager, Noxolo Nqwazi, the DA Caucus says the request for the special council meeting is compliant- but the motion to be debated at the meeting is not.
In the three-page letter, they argue that the motion has not been signed by any councillor and there is no indication of who is moving the motion or who is seconding it.
They further demand that Van Niekerk’s office confirms by Thursday whether or not the council meeting will proceed with the motion on the agenda.
If not, the party will approach the high court “for necessary relief”.
Van Niekerk told Algoa FM News that his office would go ahead with the meeting as well as the motion.
He says the motion was signed by 62 councillors, and the fact that it had not been seconded, does not make it incompetent.
Van Niekerk says they have responded to the lawyers of the DA and referred to matter to the legal department.
He also expressed his confidence that the meeting will reach a quorum.
“We have 64 councillors, we were 62 but another two have been added to the list that will vote in favour of the motion,” he added.
Earlier this year, Van Niekerk, announced that his party had left the coalition, leaving the governing coalition on shaky ground with only 59 seats in Council.
Two weeks ago, the GOOD party filed a motion of no confidence against Van Niekerk, for the alleged misuse of a municipal vehicle.
The motion by GOOD Councilor, Lawrence Troon, was supported by United Democratic Movement (UDM) councillor, Luxolo Namete.
EFF councillor Khanya Ngqisha who submitted the motion says he has received no correspondence from the Speaker's office alerting them to any discrepancy in the documentation.
“We are removing the mayor and he is going to lose power, so they are trying any trick in the book to find any technicality because they know that they will be removed.”
ANC Chief Whip, Wandisile Jikeka, agreed.
“Those are the last kicks of a dying horse as the motion is competent and meets the rules of order,” he said.
