Joburg - Opposition parties in the City of Joburg have written a letter to the MEC of Local Government and Human Settlements Lebohang Maile seeking his intervention in the fight for the position of speaker of council among various parties.
In the letter Al-Jama-ah leader Thapelo Amad said the DA in the City of Joburg with the aid of federal chairperson Helen Zille were trying to bully council into selecting a speaker more favourable to the DA.
Since the City of Joburg does not have a deputy speaker, it was expected that the next in line, which is the chair of chairs, Colleen Makhubele, would fill in the post.
However, the DA said Makhubele was misinterpreting council rules.
“Acting speaker Colleen Makhubele confirmed she received a call from the leader of the DA Mrs Helen Zille and to her she was not the acting speaker. What is particularly worrying is that the said unlawful instruction appeared to have been implemented by the current city manager when he issued a message on the City’s internet,” Amad said,
Amad said the DA, with the help of Zille, was attempting to rewrite the rules of council. He said Makhubele was the rightful acting speaker and that following the departure of Vasco da Gama at council no one disputed Makhubele’s powers to be acting speaker.
Meanwhile, the DA has since served Makhubele with a lawyer’s letter to step away from the position of acting speaker to council. The City announced that the acting secretary to council or the city manager would take over as acting speaker.
Opposition parties had also planned a motion of no confidence against Mayor Mpho Phalatse.
In a statement the DA denied that Zille had tried meddling in the affairs of the City of Joburg.
The Star