By Doreen Mokgolo
- Ekurhuleni council speaker, backed by the EFF, ANC and others, survives her third no-confidence vote since 2023.
- The DA accused her of failing in her duties and allowing corruption, but she says she won’t resign.
The EFF Speaker of the Ekurhuleni council has survived another motion of no confidence — her third since taking office in 2023.
The motion was brought by the Democratic Alliance (DA) during the April ordinary council meeting on Thursday.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), African National Congress (ANC), ActionSA and smaller parties voted together to defeat the motion, with 136 councillors voting against it and 73 in support.
DA chief whip Lucky Dinake accused the Speaker of failing to perform her duties and not being impartial.
He said: “She brought council into disrepute by allowing fraud and corruption in her office. We are concerned about the damning allegations of malfeasance and corruption in the Speaker’s office.”
The Speaker, Tshivhenga, hit back, saying she would not be pushed out by political tactics.
She addressed the claims about corruption in her office, saying the person arrested for fraud had worked as the secretary to the head of office.
“She happened to work in the office of the Speaker and as such the office was implicated in the crime, as she claimed that she worked for the office.
“When the report came out, I was pressured to resign as they believed I would be embarrassed, but I stood my ground.
“I don’t have anything to be afraid of and refused to resign. We are not scared to face whatever thing they are pulling against us — we have always led with principles,” she said.
Tshivhenga said she had started reaching out to other political parties, including the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which had previously supported a no-confidence motion against her.
Meanwhile, Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza also survived a motion of no confidence. The Independent Citizens’ Movement brought it in support of the DA.
Xhakaza was backed by 140 councillors, with 69 voting for the motion.
He dismissed the attempt as a weak attack on his leadership: “The motion against me is a frivolous attempt against the leadership and not built on any substance.”
Pictured above: Ekurhuleni council chambers during the ordinary meeting.
Image source: Doreen Mokgolo
