The Johannesburg Multi-Party Government notes with great concern and outrage the notice for an Extra-Ordinary Sitting Meeting of Council, which was issued by the Chair of Chairs, Cllr Colleen Makhubele, who has also fraudulently referred to herself as the “Acting Speaker of Council”. 

 

Cllr Makhubele has no authority to call such a meeting. 

 

We wish to again state that the Office of the Speaker is currently vacant, therefore in terms of the law, the day-to-day administrative functions and operations of the Council fall under the care of the Secretary of Council, and only the City Manager can call for a sitting of Council. The Municipal Structures Act is very clear on this matter. 

 

Only Council can elect a Speaker, which has not happened, equally there is no designation of Deputy Speaker, nor can someone wake up one day and crown themselves the Acting Speaker – this must also happen through an election. 

 

Democratic processes are being thrown to one side in a desperate attempt to forcibly grab power. 

 

What Cllr Makhubele and her allies are doing is nothing short of a corrupt coup and a subversion of the Rule of Law. 

 

The Johannesburg Multi-Party Government will not allow such a sitting to take place outside the bounds of the law. 

 

The Office of the City Manager has informed me that that on behalf of the City, they will be urgently interdicting the notice for an illegal sitting of Council; and we trust that the courts will lay this sordid affair to bed, which is a blight on our democratic order. 

 

We call on all Councillors and residents who believe in the Rule of Law and democracy to reject this orchestrated ‘by any means possible’ attempt at capturing the City of Johannesburg. 

 

The Multi-Party Government has acted and will always act in the interests of Joburg’s 6-million residents, and their service delivery needs.