Johannesburg – The City of Johannesburg’s Chair of Chair’s, Colleen Makhubele accused the DA of bribing some leaders within the multi-party coalition to discipline members who are believed to be allies of the opposition bloc.
This comes after both Action SA and the IFP disciplined members who had strayed from the party mandate not to vote for the removal of the former speaker to council, Vasco da Gama.
The multi-party coalition had accused the ANC and the opposition bloc of bribing members of the coalition to vote Da Gama out.
The matter had also been reported to the Hillbrow Police Station.
In a twist of events, Makhubele said she believed that the DA was offering money to coalition leaders to discipline their councillors.
She said she believed that even some national leaders in COPE had been offered money to discipline her.
Makhubele had been accused of being an ANC operative within the coalition; her presiding as acting speaker was seen as a gateway to ANC rule and the fall of Mpho Phalatse as mayor.
“Dennis Bloom is saying things, that I am being investigated. There is no such thing. There are some national leaders that are being given bribes about power and resources, why would national leaders want to defend the DA,” Makhubele said.
She said she was not shocked by a proposed Motion of No Confidence against her as Chair of Chairs. The motion had been proposed by Action SA leader, Funzi Ngobeni.
“This is about positions and power. Action SA knows that once the mayor is gone they are gone and they lose their MMC positions,” Makhubele said.
According to Makhubele, Action SA was pushing for a deputy mayor position to be created in the City of Johannesburg with their preferred candidate expected to fill the post.
“For the past nine months they have been wanting the position of deputy mayor. They are just hired guns now, there’s a motion in council to create that post,” Makhubele said.
Makhubele said she does not regret voting Da Gama out despite having come under fire from the multi-party coalition.
“Why should I look at power and my salary and then add no value to the people that voted me in. If the motion were to come again I would still vote the same way,“ she said.
Makhubele said there was no point for her to remain in a coalition that has no vision.
“If the coalitions do not promote what Nelson Mandela and Ntate Lekota fought for, I am willing to leave if they can keep their positions," Makhubele said.
She said what was worse was the City's attitude towards the employment of black people in the municipality.
She said there were moratoriums on jobs and for those jobs that were advertised black people were not the preferred candidates.
Makhubele denied that she was captured by the ANC and said she only stood for what is right.
DA spokesperson Cillers Brink told The Star that Makhubele had no evidence of what she was talking about.
“Does Colleen Makhubele have any evidence of the allegations she is making,” said Brink.
The Star