MIDDELBURG – The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Steve Tshwete said they are taken aback by the ANC’s violent and mischievous conduct in council. This follows the ANC’s disruption of a council meeting where a motion of no confidence against the municipality’s executive mayor, Mhlonishwa Masilela, was supposed to be passed.
“Notably, on Monday, a similar incident occurred as the ANC caucus disrupted the meeting. No item on the agenda was deliberated and the speaker deferred the meeting,” DA’s Palesa Mobango said in a statement. “It is disturbing to note how the ANC has displayed arrogance and a sense of entitlement in Steve Tshwete while they obtained only 36% in the 2021 local government elections.”
Mobango further stated that the ANC’s behaviour indicates that the people of Steve Tshwete have rejected the ANC, as they failed to obtain an outright majority. “They declined from 55% to a mere 36%. Therefore, violently disrupting council meetings and threatening the speaker of the house is uncalled for,” she said.
“Videos from the council meeting show the ANC caucus attacking the speaker and preventing him from carrying out his duties. The DA hope the speaker will lay criminal charges against this thuggery behavior of ANC councillors for assault. On a number of occasions ANC councillors have shown blatant disregard for council rules. It is unacceptable for the ANC to behave in such an unruly manner while the Systems Act indicates that council members should adhere to the Code of Conduct for councillors.”
Mobango also said that her party will not sit back and watch the town descend into anarchy. “Lawlessness and malicious conduct will not be tolerated in council. We will not allow anarchy to take over under our watch. Thus, we will ensure that a special sitting will be recalled to attend to the motion of no confidence,” she said. She added that they are consulting with their legal team to ensure law and order is restored in Steve Tshwete. “In this democratic dispensation, we can’t have a political party that forcefully hangs onto power by hook or by crook while it only obtained 36% at the polls. All political parties represented in the Steve Tshwete Council must reject the ANC’s violent tactics to bring order and stability to the council. With this in mind, our member of Rules and Ethics, Elsie Vermoteen, will be lodging an official complaint against the ANC caucus with the Section 79 Committee,” Mobango concluded. The ANC in Nkangala said they are not surprised Masilela survived the motion. “He survived because the ANC is following the law. Our councillors don’t do things outside the law,” said Millicent Khoza, a regional executive committee member. “We believe we have followed the correct laws of the municipality. It is the same ANC that has made these laws, so we can’t make laws and not use them,” she said. “We have used these laws to defend Councillor Mhlonishwa Masilela.”
