DA Calls on Political Parties to Unite to Stabilize Council in Service of Our Communities
by Cllr Michael Waters — DA Chief Whip in the City of Ekurhuleni
Date: 19 January 2024
Release: Immediate
Type: Media Statement
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the City of Ekurhuleni is calling on all political parties in the city to unite against the dictatory EFF Speaker, Cllr Nthabiseng Tshivhenga, by supporting its proposal to call an Extraordinary Council Meeting to dispose of the outstanding council agenda items of the November 2023, Ordinary Council Meeting.
On the 18th of January 2024, the DA forwarded letters to leaders of all parties represented in the Council to request support from councillors to compel the Speaker, through the majority, to reconvene the November 2023, Ordinary Council Meeting that collapsed after the EFF brutally attacked DA Councillors in the Council Chambers.
After having failed to reconvene the November 2023 Council Meeting seven (7) days after the collapse, the Speaker of the Council proposed that the meeting items be dealt with in the first half of the January 2024 Council Meeting.
The DA believes that, given the volume of items that must be disposed of in the November 2023 (37 items) and January 2024 (19 items) Council Agendas, there will not be sufficient time to adequately scrutinise and debate these items and that it would compromise councillor productivity.
Crucial items such as the institutional review (staffing of the entire Metro) provide avenues for cadre deployment and nepotism in the metro and need to be reviewed with a fine-toothed comb.
It is this very item that spurred the violent and disorderly behaviour of the EFF in November, as they were set to lose several crucial positions for their cadres in the structure.
The ANC has always used the City of Ekurhuleni as an employment agency, so too does the EFF now that it is in the seat of government.
It is extremely disheartening however, that innocent DA councillors had to become victims of the EFF-led Coalition’s political infighting.
The annual Council Calendar is another crucial item that needs to be approved as it serves as the guiding document for the convening and functioning of the Council and its committees.
The unapproved calendar resulted in numerous irregular committee meetings being convened in January 2024 to which the DA showed stern opposition.
Despite having several Councillors injured in the ordeal and having taken criminal action against the EFF for the violence perpetrated in Council, the DA has long awaited the reconvening of the November Council Meeting for the sake of ensuring uninterrupted service delivery to the residents of this City. Service delivery in the City has unfortunately been left to crumble while the ANC and EFF play petty politics. Although we do believe that the ANC and the EFF deserve each other, the residents of Ekurhuleni certainly do not.
It is therefore why the DA has proposed to have the November 2023 Council Meeting reconvened on Monday, 22 January 2024, separate from the January Extraordinary Council Meeting scheduled for Thursday, 25 January 2024 to ensure that Council Agenda items are appropriately dealt with in service of our residents.
As the DA, we are urging all political parties who are serious about good governance to unite in stabilizing the Council.
We cannot allow the EFF to wreak havoc in our spaces of democracy.
Cllr Michael Waters
DA Chief Whip in Ekurhuleni
082 902 4523
