The African National Congress (ANC) in Mangaung, Free State, has terminated the membership of eight of its councillors who defied the party and voted to elect a Democratic Alliance (DA) speaker.
Mangaung metro
The announcement was made on Friday, by the ANC’s Mangaung regional executive committee (REC), during a press briefing.
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DA councillor Maryke Davies was elected the new speaker of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality on Wednesday.
Eleven ANC councillors voted with the DA and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) against the ANC’s speaker candidate Bongani Mathea. This was despite the ANC having a majority in council.
ANC Mangaung regional secretary Patrick Monyakoana said the eight councillors were expelled from the party with immediate effect and the ANC provincial executive committee supported the decision.
The councillors who were booted from the ANC included former Mangaung deputy mayor Mapaseka Mothibi-Nkoane and former council speaker Stefani Lockman-Naidoo.
Monyakoana said the ANC viewed the behaviour of its councillors as “the highest form of assault and an affront to the organisation”.
He said the councillors will be allowed to appeal their expulsions in accordance with the ANC Constitution.
“As per the Constitution of the ANC, it allows these individuals a right to appeal this verdict effectively from the day of receiving this communication,” said Monyakoana.
Councillors who showed remorse
ANC Mangaung regional chair Lawrence Mathae said three councillors showed remorse and were spared from being fired.
Mathae maintained that the ANC did not use polygraph tests to identify the councillors who went against the party line.
“We did not have to do any polygraph tests. We didn’t have to do that. We know exactly the culprits,” said Mathae.
Meanwhile, a special council sitting of the Mangaung metro to elect a new executive mayor on Thursday was called off.
Councillors from the struggling Free State municipality were expected to elect a new mayor and the whip of council, but the meeting was cancelled by Davies amid threats against some councillors and officials.
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