3 days ago
Mcedi Ndzwanana defends his position against DA's no confidence motion in Tshwane
Mcedi Ndzwanana, the speaker of Tshwane, defends himself against a no confidence motion from the DA, claiming the accusations are unfounded and asserting the city's progress.
Image: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers
The City of Tshwane's council Speaker, Mcedi Ndzwanana, has hit back at the DA's attempt to oust him through a motion of no confidence.
The motion, set to be debated on June 26, accuses Ndzwanana of being delinquent in his duties and stifling debate in council.
Ndzwanana on Thursday dismissed the DA's accusations as "baseless and without merit", saying he is guided by the rules, not emotions.
His party, the African Transformation Movement (ATM), has also vowed to back him, threatening court action if they have to.
"My rulings in all council sittings are not based on emotions, but are guided strictly by the Rules and Orders By-law," he said.
The DA's caucus whip, Ofentse Madzebatela, alleged that Ndzwanana makes his rulings based on emotion, rather than logic or the rules of council.
"Due to this attitude, councillors cannot participate in meetings as equal peers," Madzebatela said.
"His discriminatory behaviour has reached a point where parties outside the governing coalition do not have a fair say or hearing in council meetings.'
Ndzwanana denied claims that opposition parties were being silenced at council meetings.
"It's the duty of the speaker of the council to be fair and impartial when managing debates," he said.
"It is wholly incorrect to assert that opposition parties are being silenced in council meetings,' he added.
Ndzwanana pointed out that all council meetings are live-streamed on social media, and that all members have the freedom to debate.
"The speaker has always and continues to conduct and uphold fairness and impartiality in managing debates and motions," he said.
ActionSA, a coalition partner in the City of Tshwane, has slammed the DA's motion as a "desperate bid to destabilise" the city.
Michael Beaumont, ActionSA's national chairperson, said the DA's motion is motivated by self-interest and a desire to undermine the city's progress.
"The DA's tabling of this motion of no confidence is an act of desperation designed to destabilise a government that is showing clear signs of a turnaround after years of failed government," Beaumont said. "It should be rejected by residents of Tshwane, and Gauteng more broadly, as an act of insecurity by a party that has no answers to the service delivery needs of the residents of this province."
However, Ndzwanana's future as speaker is uncertain after other coalition partners, ANC and the EFF, met in private this week to discuss whether to support the DA or Ndzwanana
Although it was not clear at this stage what that meeting decided, according to senior members of the two parties, the ANC was backing Ndzwanana while the EFF wanted the ANC to support them so that they could have their member as a speaker.
Ndzwanana was deployed by the ATM in its minority through a power sharing deal with the ANC and the EFF, thrusting the DA in the cold after they ousted former mayor Cilliers Brink.
Despite the uncertainty, Ndzwanana remains confident in his position. "I do not need to mount a defence against the motion," he said.
"The truth will prevail, and the council meeting will proceed in line with the rules on June 26."
