DA's motion of no confidence against Speaker Ndzwanana defeated in Tshwane council

IOL News

6 hours ago

City of Tshwane Council Speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana survived a DA-sponsored motion of no confidence, with 114 votes from multiparty coalition partners supporting him, 82 votes from the DA and opposition parties against him.
Image: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspapers
Tshwane council Speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana has survived a DA-backed motion of no confidence, garnering 114 votes from multiparty coalition partners in his favour, while 82 votes from the DA and opposition parties opposed him, with one councillor abstaining.
The motion was tabled on Thursday during an ordinary council meeting at Tshwane House by DA caucus chief whip Ofentse Madzebatela, who accused Ndzwanana of failing to act impartially and justly as council chairperson.
He claimed that Ndzwanana has become compromised in his judgment, making rulings based on emotions rather than logic, and has shown a disposition to favour his coalition partners over other parties.
He highlighted a specific instance on May 29, 2025, where the DA caucus disagreed with a report on establishing the Economic Growth Advisory Committee, arguing it duplicated existing committees like the Tshwane Economic Development Agency.
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He said when the DA caucus requested a vote on the report, the Speaker denied them the right to vote.
"The party's dissenting view was that this committee would replicate the work of other similar structures and advisory bodies already in existence within the city, adding an additional cost burden to the City for its operations," said Madzebatela.
He also pointed to a High Court judgment handed down on February 14, 2025, which declared Ndzwanana's decisions to disallow motions of no confidence in himself, unconstitutional and invalid.
This, Madzebatela argued, demonstrates Ndzwanana's lack of impartiality and bias towards his own interests.
The high court case referred to was brought by ActionSA, which previously challenged Ndzwanana's decision to disallow a motion of no confidence in himself.
Ndzwanana, the sole councillor from the African Transformation Movement (ATM), was elected Speaker in March 2023.
However, his tenure has been marred by controversy, including a previous motion to remove him, tabled by ActionSA.
EFF councillor Tshegofatso Mashabela, also MMC for Health, described the motion as a baseless and senseless attack on the Speaker, accusing the DA of consistently using its power to undermine the will of the people in the council.
She commended Ndzwanana, noting that under his leadership, Tshwane successfully reinstated ward committees, which had been discontinued in 2016.
'That demonstrates our rationale that the DA's motion of no confidence is nothing but a show of anger and jealousy towards the smooth-running council of our administration and they must be stopped,' she said.
ActionSA councillor Thabo Molosi criticised the motion, saying it stemmed from the DA's fear that the City is starting to recover and that Tshwane's residents are finally experiencing good governance.
'This is not a motion. This is a backlash, a knee-jerk revolt by those who thrive on chaos,' he said.
ANC councillor Aaron Maluleka, also MMC for Housing and Human Settlements, lashed out at the DA, saying, "They are hypocrites of the highest order. They don't understand democracy; to them, it's all about expediency.'
He said the motion has nothing to do with Ndzwanana, but 'it deals with the DA's ego'.
Ndzwanana thanked the multiparty coalition partners and pledged not to disappoint the citizens of Tshwane.
He assured the house that despite being a member of a particular party, he had chosen to put the interests of the city above party loyalty, opting to face criticism rather than prioritising his party's interests.