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Speaker Buyelwa Mafaya refuses legal petition to call special council meeting

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Dear MyPE

Yesterday, 12 January 2021, the office of the Speaker of the Nelson Mandela Bay Council, Cllr Buyelwa Mafaya, refused to accept a petition calling for a special council meeting and has yet again proved that she is deeply compromised and places the needs of the ANC above the needs of the people of the City.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) and other opposition parties, namely the ACDP, Cope, UDM, UF and AIC, have drawn up a petition to ensure that a special council meeting is called on 28 January 2021 at 10:00 to remove the current Speaker, and to elect a new Speaker. The meeting will also deal with the election of the Chief Whip of Council.

In terms of the Council rules of order, if the majority of councillors and/or the Executive Mayor request in writing that the Speaker convenes a special council meeting, the Speaker must convene the meeting at the time set out in the request.

The Speaker is yet again running away and trying to protect herself, as there are no legal grounds for her refusal of a lawful petition.

DA councillors went to the office of the Speaker yesterday, but after instruction by Cllr Mafaya, her personal assistant refused to accept the petition. The documentation was left with the Speaker’s PA. All the necessary documentation was also forwarded via email yesterday to the offices of the Speaker and the acting City Manager.

If the Speaker fails to call the special council meeting within the time frame provided, we intend to call on the office of the acting City Manager to ensure that the meeting takes place, as it will then be clear that Cllr Mafaya is making herself unavailable to preside over the meeting.

It is also important to note that in 2020 the High Court of Port Elizabeth found that it is compulsory for the Speaker to call a council meeting if it is requested by the majority of councillors. It is therefore not up to her discretion.

The DA, as part of the multi-party Coalition of Good Governance, will not be deterred from its mission to take Nelson Mandela Bay Forward Again.

Regards

Andrew Whitfield, MP
DA Eastern Cape Provincial Chairperson

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