City of Tshwane council speaker Dr Murunwa Makwarela says the vote to elect former mayor Randall Williams’s successor will be done by secret ballot. The EFF had requested for a secret ballot.
Speaking to Sowetan ahead of Tuesday's vote, Makwarela, a Congress of the People (Cope) member, described the past two weeks leading to the special council meeting as “hell”.
Makwarela was threatened with a motion of no confidence by members of the coalition, which he is a part of, after he was severely criticised for his handling of Williams’s resignation on February 13.
“Honestly, the last two weeks have been hell but I can do all through Christ, which is why I’m still here,” he said.
The coalition of the DA, ActionSA, Freedom Front Plus, IFP, ACDP and Cope has 109 seats between them in the 214-seat council. The DA’s Cilliers Brink is poised to be elected as the new mayor of Tshwane today if all goes according to plan.
Without Makwarela, the multiparty coalition loses a seat, bringing its numbers down to 108. This means that even without his vote, the coalition can still successfully pass items, including the election of a new mayor.
However, parties such as the ANC and EFF, which have a combined 98 seats in council, will be hoping to use the secret ballot to their advantage.
ANC caucus leader in Tshwane, councillor Joel Masilela said the ANC was talking to all parties that “cared” for the municipality.
“The ANC is steadfast that all parties should come together and form a government of local unity with a mayor elected irrespective of the party he or she comes from,” Masilela said.
“Negotiations with all parties are ongoing, including Cope. Political parties obsessed with restoring the dignity of people won’t vote to have Cilliers voted in as mayor. Coalition partners equality aren’t happy with what the DA is doing in Tshwane. We’re sitting comfortably knowing some won’t vote according to the party line and everybody who loves the City of Tshwane will do anything possible to undermine the DA.”
Makwarela said it was important for the multiparty coalition to know that if they ousted him from the coalition, they would be doing so with his two votes due to his position as speaker of council.
“The speaker carries two votes for whatever reason. If they don’t want me, they remove two votes. Even if they write many letters to remove me, only the council can remove me because I was elected by the council,” Makwarela said.
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