Cllr Nicole Graham – DA eThekwini Caucus Leader
The Democratic Alliance in eThekwini notes that council Speaker, Cllr William Mapena, has failed to table the DA’s motion to remove Councillor Zandile Gumede as a member of the Council’s Executive Committee, and subsequently as Mayor.
DA Caucus Leader, Cllr Nicole Graham, submitted an intention to move the motion on the 17th of July- a full two weeks before today’s Council Meeting. The Speaker responded to say the item had been received, and later to say that all substantive motions are regulated by the rules of order by-law.
To date, he has not communicated why the motion was disallowed or any other details. He also refused to explain why in council.
If there was some kind of procedural issue, the Speaker should have communicated accordingly to explain what the issue was. Councillors are entitled in law to bring motions to remove Councillors from the executive committee, and accordingly to remove Mayors and Deputy Mayors.
This is not an ordinary motion, but an important provision in law to remove elected office bearers.
We believe that the Speaker is duty-bound to have tabled this motion. He must protect the legal and constitutional rights of councillors in the chamber.
It is clear that the ANC is scared of the results of this motion, and this is their solution. They’re unable and unwilling to deal with Zandile Gumede and are seriously worried that the full council will embarrass the ANC and kick her out of office.
The large numbers of councillors from across the board who have pledged their support to their motion give them valid cause for concern.
The DA has been consulting and will continue to consult our legal teams. We will not allow the Speaker to protect the Mayor. The ANC is running scared, and the web is closing on Gumede and her allies.
The DA won’t stop until Gumede and every other corrupt politician in shown the door in eThekwini. The fight is far from over.