Former speaker Batsi’s defiance highlights internal ANC divisions, as opposition parties distance themselves from his parallel council operations.
The ousted speaker of the Mamusa local municipality, Gotsilekgosi Batsi, faces action for defiantly continuing to hold council meetings with a few councillors, opposing the lawful meetings called by the municipality.
Batsi’s rebellion has divided the council, with two ANC factions working against each other. However, the opposition parties, except the EFF, were sticking with the municipal-sanctioned meetings and refused to back Batsi’s actions.
In its meeting last Friday, the council resolved to take action against the former speaker, who was recently removed as speaker via a motion of no confidence.
Batsi continued to proclaim himself as speaker
However, Batsi continued to proclaim himself as speaker and insisted on organising meetings, making appointments and issuing media statements.
As part of his defiance, Batsi called a virtual parallel meeting last Friday, but it failed to quorate because the remaining nine councillors attended a lawful meeting called by new speaker Lesego Motlapele.
At his unsolicited meeting, Batsi and his backers appointed the director of community services, Gaboroni “Bigboy” Mothibi, as acting municipal manager despite the incumbent municipal manager, Rancho Gincane, still occupying the position.
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Mothibi’s appointment was not sanctioned by the council which is the only structure authorised to appoint municipal executives.
Only seven councillors attended Batsi’s virtual meeting. They were Batsi himself, Gontse Kock, Tumisho Tlhole (all the ANC) and EFF councillors Ephraim Chubisi, Nthabiseng Modise, Jacque Masilo and Olebeng Mogorosi.
Mothibi, who was appointed by the Batsi faction at the non-quorating meeting, was the only municipal official to participate in the meeting.
Third attempt to call parallel council meetings
This is a third attempt by Batsi to call parallel council meetings since his removal on 18 March, but all the attempts failed due to lack of a quorum.
On the same day, speaker Motlapele called a virtual council meeting that resolved to take action against Batsi for his persistence in defying the council’s resolution to remove him.
The council agreed to open criminal cases against Batsi and his supporters, who allegedly violated the council’s standing rules. He is also accused of issuing media statements as a speaker despite his removal, which was seen as a criminal act.
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Batsi is not only in trouble with the council, but also the Azanian Independent Community Movement (AICM) has accused him of committing fraud after he allegedly listed AICM along with Freedom Front Plus (FF+) as among the parties that attended the failed meeting he organised.
AICM secretary-general Given Bogatsu said Batsi “falsely” claimed the party’s councillor, Kelebogile Mothupi, attended the rebel meeting, when she attended the legal council meeting.
He also wrongly included FF+ councillor Esmé Venter as a participant. Mothupi is AICM’s sole councillor at Mamusa local municipality but it has seven seats in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district municipality.
Seeking legal advice to ‘protect our rights’
“We will inform the ANC’s national executive committee about our concerns regarding the pattern of disrespect exhibited by their councillors, as well as their misuse of our party’s name,” Bogatsu said.
“We will seek legal advice to protect our rights. Batsi’s actions show his fraudulent behaviour.”
He said the party was also considering laying fraud charges against Batsi.
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