Defeat for ANC in Council
2006-11-30
Susan Botha
THERE was much grandstanding in the Drakenstein Council this week, in the run-up to the by-election in Paarl on Wednesday.
But what should have been a resounding triumph for the opposition parties over the ANC in the Drakenstein Council, was marred when demonstrators tried to take over the meeting on Tuesday.
The special council meeting was called to discuss a motion by Councillor Koos Louw, leader of the DA, on behalf of the DA, ID, Vryheidsfront Plus, FD and WCC.
The motion makes reference to the proposed macro-structure for the Municipality which is to include a number of new senior officials (directors of departments).
Louw proposed that a multi-party committee be appointed to deal with the matter and make recommendations to Council and that the filling of the posts be put on hold until the process had been completed.
The motion was signed by a clear majority of 32 councillors, among them the ID members who control the council in partnership with the ANC.
As Louw tabled the motion he accused the Mayor and Municipal Manager of unprofessional conduct as the matter of the macro-structure had twice been removed from the (confidential) agenda.
He said there seemed to be a reluctance to do an independent investigation into certain aspects of the proposals, including service delivery, minimum qualifications for candidates, full job descriptions and the direct and indirect costs of introducing the macro-structure.
Mayor Charmaine Manuel responded to the motion, explaining that all necessary powers had been delegated to the Executive Mayor, placing the macro-structure in her ambit.
She said she was not opposed to a multiparty committee for the macro-structure, but to interfere with the appointment of the departmental heads would be illegal, as it would be encroaching on the municipal manager’s territory.
At this stage councillor Arthob Petersen (ANC) asked for a short recess.
When the councillors left the chamber, the protestors grabbed the opportunity to become unruly.
Some of them were carrying placards against one of the DA councillors, Johan Visser.
The demonstrators accosted some of the DA councillors, asking them how they could support “such a person”.
When no-one responded to their taunts, they started shouting, “Zim will be nothing against this” and “we will lock you up”.
Some then rushed from the chambers, allegedly to fetch chains for this purpose.
A contingent of law enforcement officers, traffic officers and security personnel then descended on the council chamber and restored the peace.
When the council meeting resumed, one of the protestors asked for a minute to address the council.
In the meantime a ‘memorandum of removal’ was handed out to councillors and members of the public.
The Speaker refused debate on the issue, saying that this was not the way to bring issues to the table.
The man again asked for a minute: “We are dealing with humanity - people are suffering.”
After several councillors asked for the meeting to continue, among them deputy mayor Mathys Nothnagel, the man indignantly wanted to know if “there was no respect in the house”.
The Municipal Manager, Dr Sidima Kabanyane, then took the microphone and asked the public to refrain from disturbing the meeting, “otherwise we will be forced to do what we don’t want to do and remove them.”
At this a bunch of the shouting protestors crowded in front of the Speaker.
The law enforcement officers then moved in and forced the angry, shouting demonstrators from the chamber.
Afterwards the meeting continued on a very subdued note, the Speaker calling for a vote on the matter on the table.
The opposition parties carried the day by 32 votes to the ANC’s 26.
* The protestors’ memorandum objected to the alleged conduct of Councillor Visser (a labour consultant), stating that he had acted in contradiction to Drakenstein municipal policy and in direct contravention of the recent Imbizo whereby Council publicly said no to evictions and dismissal of farm workers.
They demanded the immediate investigation and suspension of Visser from the Council.
Councillor Visser explained afterwards that the people were protesting against a case he had handled for a farm owner in his capacity as a labour practitioner.
In this particular case a group of farm workers were evicted after the farm owner won a court case.
The memorandum was signed by the Black Association for Wine & Spirit Industry (BAWSI), Food & Allied Workers Union (FAWU), Independent Trade Union Federation (ITUF) and Sikhula Sonke (trade union).
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