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Mashatile concerned about stability of Mogale City

Paul Mashatile, the Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance, traditional affairs and human settlements.
Paul Mashatile, the Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance, traditional affairs and human settlements.
Image: Supplied

Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Paul Mashatile on Wednesday expressed concern over the instability in the Mogale City council.

“The MEC has since the last local government elections nudged all parties to place the interests of the community of Mogale City above their narrow political ones. He together with his department have consistently provided support to ensure stability as his interest is to ensure that the municipality functions optimally irrespective of which political party is in control.

“It is against this backdrop that MEC Mashatile is gravely concerned by the ongoing tussle between parties and is doing everything in his power to establish normalcy‚” Mashatile’s office said in a statement.

Mashatile is expected to meet soon with the leaders of political parties in Mogale City to find a solution to the problem.

The majority of councillors in Mogale City boycotted a council meeting where a new mayor was to have been elected on Wednesday.

The former DA mayor‚ Michael Holenstein‚ was removed in a motion of no confidence conducted by secret ballot last week.

Without the councillors of the DA‚ the EFF‚ the Freedom Front Plus and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)‚ the council does not have a quorum.

The ANC’s 38 councillors represent only 50% of the council. It requires 50% plus one vote for a quorum‚ which the multi-party coalition has.

Holenstein’s removal was made possible after one of the councillors in the coalition voted with the ANC to give the motion of no confidence the necessary 39 votes.

DA councillors have undergone voluntary lie detector tests to establish which councillor voted with the ANC.

The governing parties voted in different colour pens‚ to be able to track where the leak is.

The governing parties refused to attend the meeting because they say the speaker‚ the ANC’s Patrick Lipudi‚ is not neutral.

Amanda de Lange‚ FF Plus councillor‚ says they cannot allow the speaker to manipulate the municipality.

The budget and the integrated development plan were also tabled for the council meeting.

The municipality is already non-compliant with the Municipal Finance Management Act. If the budget is not passed by July 1‚ the municipality can be placed under administration.

 - Additional reporting by BusinessLive

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