Former Moses Kotane Local Municipality speaker Gugulethu Mtshali. Picture: Moses Kotane Municipality/Facebook
The Speaker of the Moses Kotane Local Municipality, Gugulethu Mtshali, was forcibly removed from the council chamber by security personnel on Monday after refusing to resign following her removal from office.
A special council meeting was held on Tuesday, reportedly convened by Municipal Manager Mokopane Letsoalo, rather than by Mtshali, who is legally authorised to call council sessions.
The ANC Bojanala Regional Executive Committee (REC) had instructed the ANC caucus to avoid participating in both sessions, labelling them unprocedural. As a result, despite being supposed to call a meeting, Mtshali chose not to.
In a video circulating on social media, Mtshali is seen interrupting the special council meeting led by Letsoalo, questioning its legality.
She was promptly removed from the chamber by security.
Opposition parties in the province have criticised councillors' disregard for the laws governing local government, calling the situation unacceptable. The municipality is currently divided between ANC factions backing Mtshali and those supporting Mayor Nketu Nkotswe.
Representatives from various parties in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality council urged that the Speaker, as custodian of the council, should uphold its rules rather than violate them.
Despite the chaos, the faction supporting Nkotswe continued with the meeting.
In defiance of protocol, they appointed councillor Maria Matshaba as acting speaker to preside over the session, even though Mtshali was still present.
An ANC member who spoke to IOL after the meeting said the issue could be resolved with intervention from provincial leaders.
"See what happens when there are two bulls in one space? They are both from the ANC, and they are leading. This nonsense must stop because it will affect service delivery," he said.
Both ActionSA and the Democratic Alliance (DA) condemned the conduct of the councillors, stating that such behaviour would not be tolerated. ActionSA also threatened to escalate the matter to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) expressed that Mtshali should face consequences for her actions, accusing her of being disrespectful.
Meanwhile, the ANC Women's League in the North West condemned the forceful removal of Mtshali and called on the ANC to address the behaviour of its members.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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