Africa-Press – South-Africa. The ANC national executive committee (NEC) has expressed concern over political parties abusing motions of no confidence in councils, leading to instability in municipalities across the country.
On Sunday, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Thembi Nkadimeng, an NEC member, said the party’s highest decision-making body called for changes in how motions of no confidence were tabled, because parties were abusing the process.
Addressing the media, Nkadimeng said the NEC discussed in detail putting preventative measures in place to tackle this issue.
Nkadimeng said metros such as Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Nelson Mandela Bay had seen more than five motions of no confidence, and this had led to instability.
Johannesburg has had three mayors within six months.
Nkadimeng added:
ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile has already begun discussions with various parties represented in Parliament, including the DA, UDM, and Freedom Front Plus.
A national dialogue on coalition governments has been scheduled for 27 July, where parties will discuss various proposed legislation, including a 1% threshold, which would limit the number of parties that could qualify for representation in legislatures.
Among other issues Nkadimeng highlighted was the estimated R900 million that municipalities lost in unused funds returned to the National Treasury.
To tackle this, she said the ANC would send experts to various municipalities to ensure development projects were rolled out in the next financial year.
Referring to Nelson Mandela Bay, she said R520 million had been returned by the Department of Human Settlements, which had yet to build any houses.
“Metros are licensed by human settlements to build … houses. They did not build … even a single house, and they had, if you count in Nelson Mandela Bay, no less than 15 to 21 mayors, not in that term, but collectively since we have started in 21 years of local government,” she said.
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