By Staff Reporter
The Democratic Alliance in Makana has once again called for the dissolution of the Makana Municipal Council after the party walked out of a special council meeting meant to discuss the important item of the adjustment budget last week due to the late distribution of agendas.
According to a media statement from the DA, the agenda for the special council meeting that sat on 28 February 2024 was distributed late to councillors – a day before the meeting. As a result, councillors did not have sufficient time to properly consider and interrogate the agenda, the statement said.
The party says this is an ongoing problem.
“For several years, the DA Caucus in Makana has expressed concern over council agendas and items that are received late. At the council meeting of 28 February, this proved no different.”
The party says in terms of the rules of Council, councillors are supposed to receive the agenda at least 48 hours in advance. “For yesterday’s meeting, we received it via email on 27 February, allowing insufficient time to properly consider and interrogate the agenda.”
The statement goes on to say that DA chief whip in Makana, councillor Cary Clark, has written multiple emails to the council Speaker, Mabhuti Matyumza, complaining about the problem without any improvement.
“Council rules of order are very clear on when the agenda must be received by councillors for an ordinary or special council meeting, and these rules are broken regularly, without consequence.”
“It must be mentioned that the true culprits are the directors who submit late items and put pressure on the Committee Section responsible for drafting and circulating the agenda.”
Sizani says Matyumza has in the past apologised and promised to act, but nothing happens.
“Equally, the municipal manager and former Makana mayor, Pumelelo Kate, has failed to put his house in order by implementing consequence management on directors who do not comply.”
He said it was against this backdrop that the party protested by marching out of the special council meeting, “because we received the revised main agenda item – the adjustment budget – while sitting in Council. It is our firm belief that councillors could not properly consider and apply their minds to the adjustment budget, as it had been provided so late.”
According to the DA, the budget had been printed and distributed, and for some unknown reason, changes had to be made, and the copy distributed had to be reprinted, resulting in wasted paper and printing expenditure.
“This municipality, under the leadership of the ANC, continues to fail the people of Makana. The DA has had enough. Council must be dissolved, and the people of Makana given a fresh opportunity to elect leaders who are prepared and willing to bring real change to our municipality.”
Grocott’s Mail sent questions to municipal spokesperson Anele Mjekula, but he had not responded by the time of publication.
