The opposition led council at Thembelihle municipality has accused ANC councillors of sabotaging service delivery by failing to attend council meetings.
THE OPPOSITION led council at Thembelihle Municipality has accused ANC councillors of sabotaging service delivery by failing to attend council meetings.
The Speaker, Danny Jonas, who is an independent councillor stated that a special council meeting was convened on May 4 to discuss the advertisement of the municipal manager, the suspension of the acting municipal manager and corporate services manager, the IDP budget, the election of ward committee members and other critical items.
“All the ANC councillors deliberately absconded as they do not want the CFO, Acting Municipal Manager and Corporate Services Manager to be suspended.
“Due to their absence, council was not able to form a quorum and therefore service delivery is suffering because no decisions can be made.”
Jonas added that no reasons were provided as to why the ANC councillors could not attend the meeting.
“This is plain sabotage. The meeting was supposed to convene at 10am and the letters excusing the ANC councillors were handed in at 10.10am. They were aware that critical items were to be placed on the agenda for discussion, including the advertisement for the position of Municipal Manager. The term of the Acting Municipal Manager has expired. We will seek legal advise on what can be done and have consulted with National Treasury for advice on the budget that is critical and unfunded and how to save the municipality that is in financial ruins.”
EFF mayor, Leonard Makena, called for council to be disbanded.
“There are continuously motions of no confidence that are being brought against the Mayor and Speaker and is being rendered dysfunctional.”
He indicated that the FF+ councillor had handed in an apology last week.
“With all five ANC and the FF+ councillor not in attendance, there were only, three EFF, one Siyathemba Community Movement and one DA councillor where a quorum could not be formed and the meeting had to be adjourned.”
Makena added that pleas from Provincial Government to intervene had fallen on deaf ears.
“Community members walked far distances to attend the council meeting only to find out that it could not convene. There are a lot of service delivery backlogs that need to be fast tracked.”
He indicated that illegal travel claims were being authorised without his permission.
ANC provincial secretary, Deshi Ngxanga, said he would follow up on the matter.
