Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
  • Cue Media
    • Cue online
    • Cue Archives
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Drama as match officials abandon weekend Hollywood Bets fixture
  • Football fans brave chilly, wet weather to watch exciting Hollywood Bets Regional League local derby
  • Makhanda boxing club recognises top performers at awards ceremony
  • Alleged serial cash-in-transit robbers face possible lengthy jailtime
  • Review: Building Bridges documentary highlights advocacy through Gadra’s bridging programme
  • Review: Root of My Hair’s thought provoking exploration of identity
  • Carols by Candlelight 2023
  • Productive partnerships underpin the revitalisation of public education in Makhanda
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
  • Cue Media
    • Cue online
    • Cue Archives
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»NEWS»ANC holds Sarah Baartman District as two EFF councillors allegedly break ranks
NEWS

ANC holds Sarah Baartman District as two EFF councillors allegedly break ranks

Rod AmnerBy Rod AmnerNovember 28, 2021Updated:December 2, 2021No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Newly-elected Speaker of the Sarah Baartman District Council (SBDM), Nomhle Gaga, speaks during an interview with Ndlambe FM after the ANC's victory in the SBDM council elections on Thursday 25 November. Gaga, a former Makhanda mayor, was ousted from her mayorship at the end of 2018, but is set to resign from the SBDM and return to Makana as mayor soon. Photo: Ndlambe FM

By ROD AMNER

The African National Congress (ANC) held onto its control of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality (SBDM) during the inaugural ceremony on Thursday, 25 November, despite controlling just 14 of 30 seats on the council.

According to Democratic Alliance (DA) caucus leader in SBDM, councillor Karen Smith, two of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillors voted with the ANC.

The ANC needed the help of either the DA (12 seats), the EFF (three seats) or FF+ (one seat). A total of 16 councillors voted in former Makhanda mayor Nomhle Gaga as Speaker and Mzimkhulu ‘Scara’ Njadayi as Executive Mayor of the SBFM.

The inauguration of the council was overshadowed this week by the shocking news that Njadayi had died after chairing an SBDC meeting in Gqebera on Wednesday, 1 December.

According to a report in the EP Herald on Friday, 26 November, Njadayi said he had talks with DA councillors on the sidelines to clinch his win. Njadayi had alleged that some DA councillors were unhappy with Smith’s candidacy for the mayoralty.

However, Smith told Grocott’s Mail there was “absolutely no truth” in the allegations that DA councillors may have voted with the ANC. She said that one EFF councillor had voted for the DA, while the other two voted with the ANC.

EFF leader Julius Malema made it clear that the party would not support any mayoral candidates put forward by the ANC. Grocott’s is awaiting comment from EFF provincial leader Yazini Tetyana on the matter.

The DA’s Smith said her party had “successfully taken the ANC to the brink of defeat [in the SBDM]where the ANC’s Mayoral Candidate edged out the DA’s Mayoral Candidate by a mere two votes,” Smith said.

“Regarding my candidacy, I had the full support of my caucus and the Federal Executive. Again, this is a false narrative created by the ANC to shift the focus away from the two EFF councillors to protect them.”

“We have laid a foundation for a new government in time to come. Over the coming months, we will work hard to build a strong, united and effective voting block to hold the ANC accountable,” Smith added.

Meanwhile, despite being elected speaker of the SBDM, Nomhle Gaga is the ANC NEC’s choice to be Makana Mayor, according to an official ANC press statement released on Monday 22 November. Reliable sources say Gaga is likely to resign as SBDM speaker soon.

Newly-elected Makana Mayor Yandiswa Vara will also resign. This will allow Gaga and Vara to ‘swap’ positions.

Previous ArticleWhen research is for the people back home
Next Article Omicron is the new COVID kid on the block: five steps to avoid, ten to take immediately
Rod Amner

    Comments are closed.

    Tweets by Grocotts
    Newsletter



    Listen

    The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

    Humans of Makhanda

    Humans of Makhanda

    Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

    © 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.