A motion of no confidence against two senior DA officials at the Fezile Dabi Municipality in the Free State has failed.

This after the initiators of the motion, the EFF, failed to pitch in council on Monday (30/10) in Sasolburg where the motion was set to be debated.

The EFF wanted Mayor Dennis Khasudi and speaker Sidney Pittaway, both from the DA, to be axed. The speaker of the council said the EFF failed to pitch on two occasions without issuing any apology. The first sitting of the council was scheduled to take place at 10:00. It was, however, postponed to 12:00 and still the red berets failed to pitch. The council then deliberated the matter, which was rejected. This was the second time the EFF attempted to remove the two from office.

Fezile Dabi Municipal Council speaker, Sidney Pittaway. Photo: Facebook 

“We will now discuss a motion of no confidence against the executive mayor. I will chair that session and as we did previously we will hand over the chair to the municipal manager to hand the motion of no confidence against the speaker. Just to recoup for record purposes – this motion has been served now, it’s been served for the fourth time but we have not been able to reach a conclusion on this matter. 

“This is an urgent matter because it is taking up the time of councillors and it's taking up the resources of the council and we need to discuss this as a matter of urgency today (Monday, 30/10). The motion was circulated to everybody in a written form, we will recall that the municipal manager did give the initiator of the motion an opportunity to submit additional documentation and to call witnesses and once again at this meeting the initiator of this motion is not present in an absence of any guidance (as to what must happen now) in our rules and orders,” Pittaway said in council.

“It’s understood that in terms of the ruling council or municipal handbook, the party would now have to wait for another three more months if it were to bring another motion against the duo. Meanwhile, the EFF has accused the speaker of misrepresenting facts and flouting the council process.”

EFF Regional Chairperson, April Motaung, told OFM News that Pittaway was supposed to call a special council for the 5th of October 2023 as directed by the rules. He said the speaker then blatantly ignored the rules and is trying to manipulate the situation by misrepresenting facts and accusing the EFF of staging a walkout.

“The Speaker went on further as allowing a vote on a motion that was not introduced to the Council by the initiator/introducer. This bulldozing by the speaker is absolutely unacceptable and the advice given by the experienced municipal manager is misleading and should be withdrawn,” Motaung said.

OFM News/Lucky Nkuyane