The Mahikeng Local Municipality has failed to hold a Council meeting since 17 December last year during which ANC Councillors disrupted the meeting due to their factional infighting.
There have been at least four attempts to hold a Council meeting since, but ANC Councillors continue to boycott these meetings to prevent Council from having a quorate in order for it to meet its statutory obligations and holding the ANC-led executive council to account.
The Mahikeng Council has failed to adopt a draft budget and neither has there been any reports on expenditure and service delivery projects. With the collapse of governance, there has also been a collapse in service delivery in Mahikeng.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mahikeng has on several occasions written to the Municipal Speaker, Cllr Bafana Nebe, regarding the failure to convene meetings and address the behaviour of unruly Councillors, but the Speaker has failed to ensure that Councillors adhere to the Code of Conduct or to institute disciplinary measures against delinquent ANC Councillors.
The failure by Speaker Nebe to convene Council meetings goes against the Local Government Legislative framework. It is a gross dereliction of his duties.
To rectify the matter, we have requested the DA’s Provincial Spokesperson on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Freddy Sonakile MPL, to write to COGHSTA MEC Mmoloki Cwaile to institute action against delinquent ANC Councillors who deliberately boycott and disrupt Mahikeng Council meetings.
All the ANC Councillors who refuse to attend council meetings are in contempt of the Code of Conduct of Councillors. Speaker Nebe and Mayor Betty Diakanyo have completely rejected the legal prescripts of the Municipal Structure’s Act that requires Council to meet at least once every quarter as well as the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) which stipulates that meetings to assess the mid-year budget, performance and annual reports must be held by 20 January every year.
The Municipal Systems Act, read with the Commissions Act, empowers MEC Cwaile to investigate delinquent Councillors in breach of the Code of Conduct and if found guilty, to remove such Councillors from office.
ANC councillors who boycott Council meetings or who deliberately disrupt Council is a slap in the face of residents who voted for them to become public representatives to govern and deliver services, which is just not happening.
It is evident that the ANC is no longer interested in governing in the interest of the people of Mahikeng. Residents in Mahikeng should take note and vote out the failing ANC and vote in a DA-led government that will restore good governance, hold elected officials accountable and deliver services for all.