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The ANC has succeeded in dethroning the DA in the City of Joburg as Nonceba Molwele was elected the speaker of council on Wednesday.
City manager, Ndivhoniswani Lukhwareni, presided over the sitting during which Molwele was elected unopposed.
The meeting was boycotted by the DA and the EFF as the opposition declared it illegal, citing that councillor Vasco Da Gama was still the legitimate speaker.
However, the sitting met the required quorum after two DA councillors defied the party and attended.
Following the sitting, the DA Gauteng provincial chairperson, Mike Moriarty, said in a statement that the two councillors would be disciplined.
Last week, the majority of councillors voted for the motion to remove Da Gama but the DA’s chair of chairs Alex Christians rejected the motion after the party disputed the interpretation of what constituted a majority vote.
Read: DA embarrassed as its own members vote for ANC’s Makhubo to become Joburg mayor
The city, however, declared a vacancy for the post and Lukhwareni called for the meeting despite protestations and legal threats from the DA.
In her acceptance speech the newly elected speaker hailed the ANC and said that it was “reclaiming its position as the leader of society”.
“I would like to acknowledge all political parties that have worked with the ANC in this regard. This ship does not only belong to the ANC or to one party, it is for all of us because it is for the benefit of the citizens of Johannesburg,” Molwele said.
Molwele is former MMC for health and social development under the ANC-led administration which was dislodged by the DA-led coalition in the 2016 local elections.
Meanwhile, the DA will be considering its options on Molwele’s election.
“The DA notes the outcome of today’s meeting which we never regarded as being legal … We want to make one thing clear, we have no difficulty in taking up seats in opposition benches,” Moriarty said.
The DA has been on a losing streak with the ANC’s Geoff Makhubo elected executive mayor last week.
The governing party’s Tshwane caucus is now looking to also remove the party in the city.
A court battle is eminent as the DA is refusing to back down in Tshwane.
This is after both mayor, Stevens Mokgalapa and speaker Katlego Mathebe were removed, following motions of no confidence last week.
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Queenin MasaubiPolitical journalist | City Press | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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