ITUMELENG MAFISA
Johannesburg - The battle for the soul of the City of Joburg has become messier with opposition parties planning the removal of mayor Mpho Phalatse this week.
The Star understands that a motion of no confidence against Phalatse has been planned for this week.
This follows the ousting of the council speaker Vasco da Gama last week.
Several members of the multiparty coalition also voted against Da Gama in last week's council sitting. This included Congress of the People’s councillor Colleen Makhubela who was also the municipal chair of chairs.
The DA has threatened Makhubela with legal action should she continue in the role of the council’s acting speaker.
Some in the coalition had expressed concerns that the DA was centralising power within its ranks and trying to control the coalition.
Al-Jama-ah leader Thapelo Amad told The Star that the DA was fast losing its grip in the coalition. He said it was a matter of time until the walls fell on the mayor and her executive.
"The mayor and the former speaker have been involved in a number of wrongdoings. Now even other members of the coalition are realising it," Amad said.
ANC councillor Sihle Nguse accused the DA of trying to run the City of Joburg from Cape Town.
Nguse said not only were professionals being brought in from Cape Town but also council rules were being flouted to favour a DA agenda.
"We are supposed to be meeting on Wednesday (tomorrow) but now they are telling us about the end. We need to elect a speaker to the council in 10 days," Nguse said.
Makhubela, who has been accused of disabling the coalition and paving the way for the ANC, told The Star that she was sick and tired of being bullied by the DA.
"The threatened me with a legal opinion and if they are saying I am not an acting speaker, that’s its fine. But the only reason they do not want me there is because they know I cannot be controlled," Makhubela said.
The coalition yesterday announced that while the position of speaker to council was vacant the city manager or secretary to council would act until a speaker was appointed.
Coalition spokesperson Corne Mulder told The Star that a case of corruption and bribery had been opened at the Hillbrow police station.
This comes after an ActionSA councillor and an IFP councillor were allegedly offered bribes of R1 million and R100 000, respectively, to vote out the former speaker.
Mulder said two councillors from the opposition benches were identified as the culprits.
"The councillors did not fall for it but they have offered us this information. These are people who are interested in a change of government in the city," Mulder said.
Meanwhile, the office of the mayor has assured residents of Johannesburg that the situation was under control and that there was no crisis.
"Over the coming days and weeks there will be attempts to paint a picture of instability in the City of Joburg. This disinformation will be peddled by political parties and other interested people and organisations whose lines of corruption have been served," said mayoral spokesperson Mabine Seabe.
The Star