The City of Johannesburg council is heading to court as several parties have stated they will challenge the election of Section 79 portfolio chairs.
On Thursday, 16 councillors from the DA, ActionSA, PA, UIM and ATM were elected to serve in the various portfolios during a meeting that ended in chaos.
Before nominations took place, EFF chief whip in council Nonhlanhla Radebe claimed that parties from the opposition, including the EFF were given incorrect nomination forms.
“All of these forms are the same format except the one for chair of chairs. This means you did not allow all the other political parties to contest fairly and free by giving us incorrect nomination forms.
“This amounts to fraud and we might take it up if we’re not given a clear explanation,” Radebe said.
Council speaker Vasco da Gama said he would look into the matter before continuing the meeting.
The position of chair of the municipal public accounts committee remains vacant. Da Gama said the election would take place at the next council meeting.
While the nominations and elections process continued, the EFF raised their concern with the meeting while ANC caucus leader Mpho Moerane announced the party would challenge the outcome.
Minority bloc parties the AIC, GOOD, AHC, APC, PAC and UDM said they were heading to the Hillbrow police station to open a case against Da Gama for presiding over a fraudulent process.
Al-Jama-ah councillor Thapelo Ahmed said they had consulted with corporate governance department.
“Our next move is to open up a case through court processes to set aside what’s happened here,” he said.
GOOD councillor Lloyd Phillips said: “What he [Da Gama] did is fraudulent. He is illegally appointing chairpersons just like he illegally appointed the chair of chairs. We’re opening a case of fraud.”
ANC caucus chief whip Eunice Mgcina said they expected a different meeting after the session with Gauteng human settlements and co-operative governance MEC Lebogang Maile on Wednesday.
“We expected that the speaker would allow us to field our candidates because we made resubmissions after the meeting of January 18 but it could not happen.
“We’ll look at how the speaker responded and how we can take this thing up and not leave it as is. We’re building a case. Since this is a new meeting, we expected processes to start afresh,” Mgcina said.
EFF regional chairperson Sepetlele Raseruthe said members of the opposition were suppressed and not given the opportunity to ask questions.
“Our people want us to ask questions. Our people want us to get answers when we ask questions and that’s what we’re here for. We’re not here to please anyone,” he said.
Raseruthe said the EFF would consider their options.
“Da Gama agreed there was something wrong with the nomination forms and it came from their half,” he said.
Meanwhile, Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse said anyone approaching the courts would be wasting their money.
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