By Doreen Mokgolo
- Al-Jama-ah has filed a motion of no confidence against speaker Nobuhle Mthembu after ActionSA opposed a R2.5-billion loan for service delivery.
- The Joburg council will also vote on motions to remove Mayor Dada Morero and chief whip Sthembiso Zungu during a meeting on Wednesday.
ActionSA is in trouble with its coalition partners in Johannesburg after voting against key budget decisions, and the speaker of the council could be the first to pay the price.
Nobuhle Mthembu, the speaker from ActionSA, now faces a motion of no confidence brought by the Al-Jama-ah party. The motion is scheduled to be debated on Wednesday during an ordinary council meeting.
Thapelo Amad, who leads Al-Jama-ah in the Joburg council, said ActionSA has shown it no longer supports the coalition. The party has voted against two adjustment budgets and, most recently, opposed a R2.5-billion loan meant to improve service delivery.
Amad said: “It appears as if they don’t have the best interest of service delivery and the people of Joburg, because if they did, they wouldn’t have voted for the loan aimed to improve services.
“Mthembu is unable to hold the integrity of the council, be apolitical and bias in her approach and has failed to hold the integrity. Since they are working against the collective, we have decided to simplify the removal of the party from the coalition.”
The governing coalition includes the African National Congress, Economic Freedom Fighters, Patriotic Alliance, Al-Jama-ah and ActionSA.
Although the Democratic Alliance submitted its own motion to remove the mayor, it was rejected by the programming committee on legal grounds. But Al-Jama-ah’s motion against Mthembu was accepted.
Council will also vote on separate motions of no confidence against Mayor Dada Morero and chief whip Sthembiso Zungu.
Coalition parties met on Monday night to discuss their approach to the votes. Amad said that even though his party has only three councillors, they believe they have enough support to remove Mthembu.
Meanwhile, smaller parties like Good have announced they will not support removing Morero. While they do not endorse his leadership, they say the city needs stability and not more political drama.
Good’s national chairperson said the motions could either worsen the dysfunction in Johannesburg or open the door for accountability and a reset.
Pictured above: Thapelo Amad.
Image source: Thapelo Amad
