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Councillors summoned over defying speaker

POINT OF PROCEDURE: The ANC's Peter Mokaba regional chairman Lawrence Mapoulo PHOTO: ALEX MATLALA
POINT OF PROCEDURE: The ANC's Peter Mokaba regional chairman Lawrence Mapoulo PHOTO: ALEX MATLALA

ALMOST all the ANC councillors in the Blouberg municipality have been hauled over the coals for opposing a decision to suspend the municipality's manager.

Twenty-four of the 37 councillors were yesterday summoned to the ANC's Peter Mokaba regional offices in Polokwane to explain themselves. This follows their disapproval of the decision to suspend manager Patrick Kgoale.

The municipality has 41 councillors, with 37 being members of the ruling ANC while four belong to opposition parties.

Kgoale was suspended from the position last week following allegations of insubordination and of falsifying his qualifications.

It is understood that the speaker had taken the decision despite being advised by the mayor that the action was unlawful.

The councillors however rejected the move, citing the reason that proper procedures were not followed. All 24 were summoned to appear before the party's regional office to explain why they were opposed to the decision. Opposition parties in the municipality also rejected the move to suspend Kgoale, saying the speaker had no authority over a sitting mayor.

It has since been established that the 24 councillors were part of the group that supports President Jacob Zuma's bid for a second term as the party's president.

The mayor, Serite Sekgoloane, is also a known Zuma supporter and had been lobbying for support for him ahead of the national conference in Mangaung next month.

ANC Peter Mokaba regional chairman Lawrence Mapoulo yesterday refuted allegations of purging non-Zuma supporters.

He said the issue was about the suspension of the municipal manager and that they wanted to advise their members of procedures to follow in raising issues rather than interfering with administration.

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