THE Democratic Alliance has voiced it’s disagreement with last week’s election of a new mayor and speaker for Inxuba Yethemba Municipality (IYM, consisting of Cradock and Middelburg).
Retief Odendaal, MPL, in his position as leader of the DA in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, pointed out in a letter to Xolile Msweli, municipal manager of IYM, that procedures followed at the meeting, held in Cradock on March 3, in the election of Noncedo Zonke as Mayor in the place of Lena Davids, interim mayor, who was elected after the resignation of Ray Shweni, was illegal.
Odendaal made the same objection to the election of Njameka Goniwe as speaker in the place of Maria Nortje, who now holds the position of chief whip, in place of Thembisile Bobo who has also resigned.
Odendaal states in his letter that, upon resignation of the former executive mayor at an IYM council meeting in February, the then-speaker, Maria Nortjè, was advised on the processes to be followed in respect of electing an executive mayor and speaker.
Odendaal pointed out that the DA caucus and more specifically Monde Desha, advised that the election of the executive mayor and speaker has to be done in accordance with Section 55 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act, 1998, in conjunction with Schedule 3, which states that if more than one candidate is nominated for any one of the positions, the election should be by secret ballot.
The letter also states that in the light of the above, the DA will consider any actions or decisions, including the lodging of the adjustment budget, taken by Zonke or Davids, to be unlawful and irregular.
Msweli, defended the council’s actions during the election meeting by quoting Rule 30 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act, quorums and decisions, supported by standing rules and order for meetings of the council and all it’s committees, which by-laws were adopted for IYM on 30 January 2017.
In both these cases it is stated that the speaker must decide whether voting will be by show of hands or ballot papers.
