Chaos erupts at council meeting

Enoch Mgijima municipal manager Chris Magwangqana has to explain in seven days why he should not be suspended for allegedly misleading councillors and failing to defend municipal assets in court.

This relates to Magwangqana allegedly telling council he had used money collected through rates and services to pay the municipality’s Milowo Trading Enterprise and Eskom. It later transpired he had used funds from the equitable share, meant for day-to- day operations and to pay salaries.

Councillors at Friday’s special council meeting resolved to serve the accounting officer with a notice of intent to suspend him for not defending municipal assets in court.

The assets were later auctioned to pay some of the Milowo debt.

Friday’s meeting comes after workers on Thursday chased out Bhisho appointed administrator Vuyo Mlokoti, while he was busy in a meeting with management.

They said there was no need for an administrator, as Magwangqana was capable of saving the troubled municipality.

Samwu-affiliated workers who support Magwangqana forced their way into the hall on Friday. Police were called and the workers were allowed to sit in the public gallery.

Once the drama was over, councillors rescinded their decision to fight co-operative governance & traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa’s intervention of placing the municipality under administration. Tempers flared again when DA councillor Malibongwe Xhelisilo was almost attacked by a group of ANC councillors after he had told one of them to shut up as he was talking.

This was after council speaker Mzoxolo Peter shot down attempts from opposition benches to enquire about the meeting’s legality. DA councillors then once again walked out of the meeting.

The meeting was then closed to the public. In retaliation, workers poured pesticide on the floor. However, the session continued.