The City of Johannesburg metro, SA’s largest and biggest metro, is still waiting for a letter from COPE informing council that Colleen Makhubele has been removed as its proportional representation (PR) councillor.
This is after COPE leader Mosioua Lekota announced on Monday that Makhubele’s membership had been terminated, after she had claimed that her party had joined a newly formed coalition dubbed the SA Rainbow Alliance (Sara) without approval from its leadership.
Sara comprises smaller political parties including the National Freedom Party and other religious organisations aiming to contest the provincial and national elections in 2024 under one banner.
Joburg metro spokesperson Virgil James told Business Day on Tuesday: “We are waiting for a letter from COPE terminating her [Makhubele] membership. The letter will go to city manager [Floyd Brink], indicating termination of her membership and who her replacement would be. The same letter will go to the IEC [Electoral Commission of SA] so it can do its work in terms of removing and replacing the PR councillor.”
James said Brink would then be compelled to call a special council meeting within 14 days for councillors to elect a new speaker. “That’s usually the process that gets followed,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Joburg metro has said it was seeking leave to appeal against a recent High Court ruling that found Brink’s appointment as city manager unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid.
Brink was implicated in a forensic report commissioned by the city that found he had committed various acts of misconduct during his time as the acting city manager, after he allegedly approved two transactions of more than R300m and R20m respectively, to buy CCTV equipment and hand-held devices. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
The DA previously alleged the council’s decision to appoint Brink, the second preferred candidate, instead of Johan Mettler, the first preferred candidate, was “done to placate the EFF, who played a key role in the ANC staying in power in Joburg”.
Mettler later recused himself from the race. The DA then recommended Bryne Maduka for the post.
With TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.