The multiparty coalition said that Ndzwanana was illegitimately elected to the position of speaker in the City of Tshwane council.
FILE: The coalition said it believes that Ndzwanana, a councillor from the African Transformation Movement (ATM) party, was an illegitimate speaker due to how he was elected to the position. Picture: @EWNreporter/Twitter
TSHWANE – The Democratic Alliance (DA)-led multiparty coalition in the City of Tshwane said that it still wanted to remove council speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana through a motion of no confidence.
Following the election of Cilliers Brink as mayor on Tuesday night, the party said the two positions out of three of Tshwane’s executive seats belonged to the DA.
The coalition said Ndzwanana, a councillor from the African Transformation Movement (ATM), was an illegitimate speaker due to how he was elected to the position.
READ: Da-led coalition in Tshwane weighs up legal action against speaker Ndzwanana
READ: ANC, EFF object to no-confidence motion against Tshwane speaker Ndzwanana
When Ndzwanana was elected earlier in March, all 69 votes from DA councillors were considered as spoiled by the electoral commission due to the party using numbers instead of a cross to vote.
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said that their coalition would not be able to fully implement their objectives without total control of the municipality’s executive branch.
“What we are going to do right now, because again it is something that can take us months and months in court proceedings, what we are now considering is putting a motion of no confidence, getting the speaker out, getting a speaker that is not going to be biased against us, and make sure we are able to do the job that needs to be done on the ground.”
Brink said that his olive branch to work with opposition parties did not extend to Ndzwanana keeping his position as speaker.
“We will work with the speaker as much as we can, but the point is a majority of council – it doesn’t depend on me or how I feel – a majority of councillors have petitioned the speaker for a debate of no confidence, and that does not change.
“The coalition parties have a majority in this council and have made their views clear. I am happy to work with the speaker as a councillor.”
