DA's Da Gama remains speaker in embattled Joburg City

The motion of no confidence against Johannesburg speaker Vasco da Gama has been defeated. Preciding over the motion, chair of chairs Alex Christians ruled that the motion against Da Gama needed  to have 50% plus one of the total number of councillors, which is 270.

The motion received 135 votes, 99 against it, while 30 EFF councillors abstained. Christians first declared victory for the motion but later changed his mind after Da Gama himself explained that the motion needed to have 136 votes based on the number of councillors constituting the municipality and not those present.

After Christians' ruling, Da Gama went back to his seat. But some of the  ANC councillors aggressively tried to approach him and they were stopped by their leaders. The council meeting degenerated into hurling of insults and Da Gama was forced to adjourn it.

This means Johannesburg has an ANC mayor in Geoff Makhubo but a DA speaker, which is an unworkable situation.