GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - An urgent meeting between Xolile Nqatha the MEC of CoGTA and the Dr Beyers Naudé Municipal Council was scheduled for Tuesday, to discuss the deadlock in the municipality and, more importantly, the passing of the budget.
It was also decided that there should be a meeting yesterday (Wednesday) to elect an interim mayor to approve the budget.
This follows the unlawful election by the African National Congress (ANC) and Compatriots of South Africa (CSA) of the mayor Willem Safers and chief whip Thembekile Spogter in June 2022.
They also unlawfully adopted the municipal budget. The validity of the new appointments and the adoption of the budget was challenged by the DA in the Makhanda High Court, and the appointments and adoption of the budget were set aside on 12 July.
Tuesday's meeting (26 July)
The subsequent election of a mayor for the Dr Beyers Naudé municipality on 21 July resulted in another deadlock when both the DA nominated Ewald Loock and the ANC nominated Willem Safers received 12 votes. Due to this deadlock, the municipal budget for 2022/2023 could not be passed before the 31 May deadline since section 16(2) of the Municipal Finance Management Act requires the budget to be tabled by the mayor.
Nqatha was, therefore, required to intervene in the municipality in terms of section 139(4) of the Constitution by taking appropriate steps to ensure the approval of the budget.
On 26 July it was determined that an interim mayor will be elected from the executive committee of the council on Wednesday 27 July exclusively for the tabling of the budget. It was also determined that, after the passing of the budget, parties will be allowed time to negotiate around the deadlock in the election of a mayor and find a long-term solution. Should the council fail to reach an agreement, the council will reconvene and a permanent mayor and chief whip will be elected via the toss of a coin.
The date for the next council meeting where parties will negotiate the deadlock has not yet been determined.
Yesterday's meeting (27 July)
On 27 July the executive committee put forward Cllr Ewald Loock as the proposed interim mayor. This proposal was accepted by all parties. Loock then served as interim mayor only to adopt the budget, and the budget was tabled and passed.
On 22 July, Provincial Treasury declined the municipality's request to utilise a portion of the 2022/23 proposed budget. Fuel provision was suspended by service providers and vehicles could, therefore, not be used for service delivery.
Salaries of municipal employees could also not be paid. After the budget was passed yesterday, 27 July, all expenditure commitments, including the payment of salaries, could be honoured.
MEC of CoGTA EC, Xolile Nqatha (left) and CSA Speaker of the Dr Beyers Naudé Municipality, Cheslin Felix (right). Photos: Makhaya Komisa, Media Liaison Officer for CoGTA EC
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