The DA has voiced its concern with what they call an incorrect passing of the budget.

The party is calling for a vote on the budget and believes that the budget only garnered 34 votes and not a required majority of 36. "The budget was incorrectly assumed to be accepted."

Speaking to OFM News about this matter, the DA caucus leader in the municipality, Allison Oates, mentioned that her party has called on the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) officials to urgently advise the coalition that the budget has not been passed. 

Oates says "according to the majority of the council members, the budget should not be passed by just a simple majority on the day of the vote."

The passing of the municipal budget is exceptionally important, as when not passed, the council may be dissolved and new municipal elections will be called for.

Oates added that the Maluti-A-Phofung 16 (MAP16) coalition will be required to either persuade more members of the council to vote for the proposed budget or seek approval for a new one.

However the council speaker, Paratlane Motloung says the DA's concern is welcomed. "The DA's concern is technical. We have passed the municipal budget as it was supposed to be passed before the end of this month, " says Motloung.

He adds there are still a few days left before the end of the month, meaning that "we can still negotiate with them to find out if something wrong happened according to them." 

"Should we find that nothing wrong happened, there will be no need to pass it again. There was a sufficient majority to pass the budget, " he concluded.

OFM News/Tumelo Khotha