Pretoria - As the DA’s coalition partners continued to purge Joburg councillors who voted out speaker Vasco da Gama two weeks ago, the future of Cope councillor and chair of chairs Colleen Makhubele hangs in the balance.
This after her failed bid to become acting speaker of the council following the removal of Da Gama through a vote of no confidence by opposition parties.
Makhubele, whose party is part of the DA-led coalition in the City, defied Cope’s instruction and voted with the opposition.
Her troubles began after she convened a special council meeting – a few days after Da Gama’s removal – in which a motion of no confidence was to be tabled against mayor Mpho Phalatse on Wednesday.
Makhubele, however, suffered a setback after the high court ruled against her following an application by Phalatse and other members of the coalition parties to interdict the special council meeting.
In his ruling, Judge Gcina Malindi interdicted the meeting and ordered Makhubele to pay the legal costs.
After the ruling, Cope and some members of the coalition parties laid a criminal case of bribery against some of their members, claiming two ACDP councillors, an IFP councillor and Makhubele were allegedly bribed by opposition parties.
Cope senior member Dennis Bloem accompanied the complainants to Hillbrow police station – a clear indication of his disapproval of Makhubele’s action. Makhubele is part of the Mosiuoa Lekota faction of Cope, which is fighting for control of the party with another group led by Willie Madisha, Cope deputy president. Madisha’s faction recently suspended Lekota, while Lekota’s group suspended Bloem and Madisha.
Asked about his party’s position on Makhubele yesterday, Bloem said: “We will very soon make a decision on the matter.”
Some of the coalition partners have already indicated their intention to table a motion of no confidence against Makhubele.
Phalatse’s spokesperson, Mabine Seabe, said: “The coalition is in agreement that Makhubele has brought the council into disrepute and acted with deliberate malice, therefore a motion of no confidence in the chair of chairs will be tabled.”
But Makhubele appeared unfazed yesterday about the pending motion and rejected claims that her party was considering axing her as councillor.
“My party is in full support of what I am doing.
“I have the support of my president (Mosioua Lekota) and the regional leadership of my party. We are aware of the view of Comrade Dennis Bloem.
“There is no investigation against me and no dismissal that is going to happen,” Makhubele said.
She confirmed knowing about the pending motion but said her party was not “a coalition desperate party which is hell-bent on blatantly ignoring the Constitution of the country”.
Makhubele said the coalition should serve the interests of all parties and not the DA, saying her decision to vote with the opposition parties was purely aimed at restoring integrity and honesty in the governance of the city.
“Vasco da Gama was not (a) fit and proper person to be speaker.
“He failed to be impartial. A motion of no confidence against the mayor, Mpho Phalatse, was also supposed to be tabled at the very same sitting to remove him but he concealed it.
“I would have failed my party if I did not vote for his removal,” Makhubele said.
While Makhubele appeared confident of her decision, the IFP had already removed its councillor, Sbusiso Phakathi, and replaced him with Mduduzi Nyembe.
Councillor Ronald Diers of the ACDP was found guilty while the verdict against his fellow councillor, Dingan Sithole, was still pending.
ActionSA has since announced Petunia Moipone Rakosa as a member of the caucus afer the dismissal of a councillor who failed to attend the council meeting during Da Gama’s removal.
Pretoria News