MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Papers filed in Grahamstown High Court to have appointment of mayor set aside

By

Dear MyPE

The Democratic Alliance in Makana Municipality has filed papers in the Grahamstown High Court seeking to have the decision to appoint Councillor Nomhle Gaga as Mayor set aside.

The DA will not allow the ANC or any other party to use the Council as their own party political branch meeting where they can simply appoint cadres as they see fit.

The Makana Council is a legislative body empowered by the Constitution and duly elected by the citizens of the Makana Municipality.

On Friday August 28th, ANC Speaker of the Makana Council, Rachel Madinda Isaacs ran rough shod over the Municipal Structures Act, allowing the ANC councillors to appoint their candidate as Mayor by a show of hands.

The ANC is so divided in Makana that it is terrified that a secret ballot could see the DA occupying the Mayoral position were the election to be conducted by secret ballot.

According to Schedule 3 of the Municipal Structures Act the Speaker must call for a secret ballot when more than one nomination is received.

The ANC’s chosen candidate was Councillor Nomhle Gaga while the DA put forward Councillor Les Reynolds as our mayoral candidate.

The Speaker ignored the advice of the Acting Municipal Manager as well as DA councillors Les Reynolds, Brian Fargher and Brian Jackson,  all of whom informed the Speaker that it was against the law to conduct the election by a show of hands.

The DA will continue to uphold and defend the rule of law to ensure that the democratic values of freedom and fairness are upheld and that the Council is accountable to the people, not the ANC.

The DA in Makana almost doubled our share of the vote between 2009 and 2014 while the ANC is showing signs of losing its footing.

The people of Makana will have an opportunity to send a strong message to the ANC in the 2016 local government elections as they vote for change.

More than ever before Makana needs a DA government and the DA is ready to govern.

Regards

Les Reynolds

The following two tabs change content below.

Port Elizabethan

This author is a 'catch-all' for occasional articles and letters written to MyPE. The Author of each article can be found in the signature at the bottom of each individual article.