I missed today’s special council meeting, after last weeks walkout by the DA over the proposal to extract R17.8 million from the municipal budget and use it to ‘help’ the IEC with the upcoming local elections. But my little spies fed me with the following:
Get up to stream by reading, That is IT, I am Voting PAC, before progressing any further.
I am sorely disappointed that I missed it as by all reports the council meeting was a masterful show by the ruling party of how to delay proceedings whilst scrambling frantically underwater and gathering in the troops. For now we will have to commend the ANC’s great fortitude under pressure and call them the Duck Duck Stay party.
At the start of the proceedings at 9:00 am the ANC Councillors present were seen to be a little thin on the ground with many having handed in a leave of absence. Quick calculations by the Desperate Alternative saw the possibility of the same situation unfolding as last week where council did not have a quorum.
But Duck Duck Stay were having none of this and immediately requested a caucus.
According to the Council Rules of Order a caucus may only be granted by the speaker if the item is a new one or it is has been amended. This proposal to spend R17.8 Million was a continuation from last weeks stalemate.
A caucus of 20 minutes was granted by the Speaker – naturally accompanied by howls of protest.
During the caucus a number of ‘missing’ councillors arrived to take part in the kindergarten playtime. Still not enough to make a quorum should the Desperate Alternative and their henchmen play the same game as last week though.
Back from caucus the Speaker generously allowed the Mayor, as representative of Duck Duck Stay, 40 minutes to talk to the motion with the opposition parties allocated proportional time thereafter. Very generous and democratic of the Speaker methinks.
Whilst the Mayor expunged on;
- the great benefit that would accrue to citizens if R17.8 Million was released into the wild,
- how the events in Egypt and Tunisia could be prevented from happening in SA if this money was released and
- how the global financial crisis has affected jobs and the severe pattern of service non delivery in our metro named for an icon,
we had persons from non standard houses checking toilets, sandwich shops, luxury car dealer showrooms and the like for sick councillors who had handed in a leave of absence.
I could be wrong but you know I am probably right!
A few more glum looking councillors dribbled in whilst the Mayor was educating the educated.
Again my one constant voice of reason, Pule Lonake from the PAC was on fire and questioning the state of democracy within Duck Duck Stay. Having none of this charade Pule then put the motion. No seconder was forthcoming.
Duck Duck Stay then had another go with their Chief Whip flogging the item whilst the DA, ACDP, FF and ID councillors walked out once again.
Whilst waiting the required 30 minutes before abandoning the meeting once again, one more councillor walked in and a quorum was established.
The motion was passed 59 – 2.
Okay there was total confusion after the vote as the Desperate Alternative thought that they had won and even Duck Duck Stay were under the impression that they had lost the motion.
After a meal of grated polony sandwiches and coffee it was finally decided that the citizens of Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch were now proudly having R17.8 million extracted from a place that we will all keep schtum about.
DA Councillor Dean Biddulph went on record saying; “We are starting to see the unravelling of the ANC”.
Well colour me confused: A metro experiencing a cash CRISIS is now the only one in the country ‘assisting’ the IEC to have a successful local government election despite the IEC being paid to run a local election. Do we not TRUST the IEC?
Alan Straton
Latest posts by Alan Straton (see all)
- Alu Door & Window Centre Readies Mpumalanga Homes for the Summer Storms - 30 September 2026
- If AI Can Now Do the Work, Who Checks the Work? - 29 September 2026
- UK Music Titans Marc Marot & Jeremy Marsh Join #MEX26 in Cape Town - 29 September 2026
- The Countdown On – Mind Matters Is Taking Over Cape Town Before Taking the Conversation Global - 28 September 2026
- BurnesSEO Study Finds South African Small Businesses Invisible in AI Search Results - 28 September 2026
Does anyone actually know what is going on? Yes, Duck Duck Stay, has become a Law unto themselves, but for goodness sake, when last I heard, contractors weren’t even being paid in this town and small business owners were closing down due to non payment.
Duck Duck Stay can blame macro-economic factors until they are blue in the face (highly unlikely), but all that it boils down to is gross mismanagement. So here we go again – same old flippin’ same old – splurge all of OUR hard earned money on nonsense – for what? Urghhhhhhh!