GCC erupts into chaos over agenda
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday December 7, 2016 15:08
The councillors told the GCC mayor, Kagiso Thutlwe and city clerk Mpho Mathe that they should put their house in order.
“Your Worship, the meeting cannot go on if the council executive committee did not meet. As chairpersons of the different committees, we were not called to discuss the agenda of this meeting. If the administration and you the mayor takes us seriously, then the meeting should be adjourned. It should be clear that I cannot be part of the meting which does not take councillors seriously,” councillor Oarabile Motlaleng said.
Councillor Olebogeng Kemelo supported Motlaleng urging councillors to vacate the council chamber so that next time the city clerk will know that they mean business.
“One of the reasons why the city clerk is not taking us seriously is because he has long been transferred and now he doesn’t take the business of this council seriously. His transfer is now being dragged. He has failed to implement resolutions of this council which were taken a long time ago,” Kemelo said.
Councillor Marks Bobi said the council administration failed to do the basic thing by ensuring that the councillors are given seven days as required under Local Government Act.
“I agree with councillors that if the procedures were not followed for this meeting to be convened then the council should adjourn, failing which it would require us as councillors to walk out,” Bobi said. Nominated BDP councillor Kagiso Ntime suggested that the meeting be adjourned and the majority supported him.
Following the adjournment, the BDP councillors held a press briefing, at which they blamed the chaos on Thutlwe. They said when Mathe failed to call the executive committee meeting, the mayor could have done so.
“Why didn’t Thutlwe tell us before the councillors could explain that the executive committee did not meet.
Thutlwe is the political leader and therefore he should ensure that all proper procedures are followed before he could come to the council meeting. This council keeps on adjourning for unnecessary reasons and that shows that the mayor is failing,” nominated councillor Foster Seretse said. The full council meeting is expected to resume on Thursday after the executive committee had met.