By Doreen Mokgolo
- IFP withdrew motion against EFF speaker Tshivhenga, giving parties more time to consult with their leaders.
- ANC didn’t support the motion, saying they respect their EFF partners who don’t want their member removed.
The EFF speaker of Ekurhuleni council, Nthabiseng Tshivhenga has survived a second motion of no confidence after IFP decided to withdraw their motion on Thursday.
IFP Gauteng secretary, Ildo Ngobeze said they decided to withdraw the motion to allow other political parties that promised to support it asked more time to consult with their leaders.
“The speaker is partisan and since she took office she has not invited us and smaller parties to her office to discuss issues including those of the legislature. She has failed in keeping proper decorum, schedules and resolutions in council.
“She has failed to ensure conduct as expected in that councillors within the city chambers have been assaulted and physically injured under her watch, whist she had the authority to protect them,” he said.
On 30 November 2023, a fight broke out between the EFF councillors and DA after councillor Danie Putter made racist remarks against EFF councillors.
Ngobese said they will be resubmitting the motion once all parties in support are done consulting.
Tshivhenga said she is humbled by the withdrawal of the motion when people are able to review and rethink of the consequences that may follow after this.
“After being found guilty for not dealing with matter in a satisfactory manner I apologised to council. A motion is not innocent; the IFP maybe reaching out to us this is an opportunity to reach out to them to talk about their concerns,” she said.
ActionSA’s Siyanda Makhubo said they are disappointed by IFP’s unjustified decision to withdraw of the motion.
“The speaker’s partisan manner in which she presided over council led to a scathing report from the bipartisan Ethics Committee that found her guilty of failing,” he said.
Meanwhile the ANC’s Jongizizwe Dlabathi said they didn’t support the motion as they don’t believe there are sufficient basis to support it.
“We are in a collaborative arrangement with the EFF in the metro and they expressed that they don’t support the motion on the removal of their deployee. Morally and in principle respect their decision, if there are any changes that we believe must happen they will be subjected to party to party discussions,” he said.
Pictured above: Nthabiseng Tshivhenga.
Image source: File
