Africa-Press – South-Africa. The DA in Ekurhuleni is gearing up for a fierce debate to retain Tania Campbell as the mayor of Ekurhuleni.
The council’s programming committee confirmed a motion of no confidence in her leadership.
On Thursday, political parties represented on the committee approved the motion of no confidence.
The ANC caucus filed the motion, claiming Campbell had neglected service delivery in the region.
This is the second metro, led by a DA-coalition government, to face a possible removal from power.
Last month, a similar scene played out in Johannesburg when Mpho Phalatse was ousted as mayor. She was replaced by ANC leader Dada Morero.
The DA runs a minority government in Ekurhuleni.
The coalition government faces a more formidable challenge to retain Campbell because of its smaller margins in the metro’s council.
Campbell, like Phalatse, was elected to office with the support of EFF councillors. Her retention of the mayoral seat is reliant on the red berets.
Ahead of the programming committee on Thursday, News24 understands that the ANC in Ekurhuleni had been instructed by its provincial leaders to withdraw the motion.
The region, though, seemed determined to move ahead with the motion, as its members did not present any suggestion of a withdrawal.
The ANC’s deputy regional chairperson, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, refused to comment on the instructions to withdraw the motion.
“The programming committee has accepted the motion. There was speculation that we would withdraw the motion, but the organisation’s processes will now guide us on the process going forward,” Dlabathi said on Thursday.
The Speaker of the Ekurhuleni council, Raymond Dlamini, said the motion was approved because it met the rules and was submitted on time.
Dlamini, speaking for the DA in Ekurhuleni, added that the caucus was prepared to defend Campbell.
He said the multi-party government had worked hard to transform Ekurhuleni, and the threat of removal would be challenged.
“We are going to defend our mayor. We feel that we did a good job under the circumstances. She was a brilliant mayor, and she served, but we cannot control the behaviour of other political parties. We will defend the executive mayor,” Dlamini said.
The EFF in Ekurhuleni previously told News24 that it had yet to decide whether it would support Campbell’s removal.
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