The gloves came off on Wednesday at the Buffalo City Metro council meeting when ANC councillors clashed during a heated debate over a municipal public accounts committee report lambasting mayor Xola Pakati for “failing” in his job.
The report was tabled by Mpac chairperson and ANC ward 24 councillor Zameka Kodwa-Gajula and dealt with the metro’s poor performance in 2017-2018.
The metro regressed from obtaining an unqualified audit opinion from the auditor general to a qualified opinion for the previous financial year.
In the report, Kodwa-Gajula said Pakati had failed to perform his executive duties and responsibilities of oversight and political guidance over accounting officer Andile Sihlahla and management.
However this did not go down well with some of Pakati’s comrades, who defended him, saying the wording needed to be “toned down” as the term “failure” was too harsh.
ANC ward 25 councillor Crosby Kolela said: “Rather say he must pull up his socks.”
Although council chief whip Mawethu Marata commended the committee for reporting “without fear or favour”, he also said the Pakati recommendation should be toned down.
Mayoral committee member and ward 31 councillor Sindile Toni said the committee should be summoned over the report and the harsh language used.
However Kodwa-Gajula said: “Do not challenge us to fight here. Mpac is a council committee. If there is something that needs to be said to us, it must be said here.”
Other ANC councillors were heard shouting “It’s fine, let us fight!”
Kodwa-Gajula was supported by ANC ward 45 councillor Thozamile Norexe, who said Toni was out of order.
“Sanusiqhela kakubi apha,” he said to the ANC councillors who were not happy with the Mpac recommendations. The term can be loosely translated as “don’t disrespect us” and it caused a commotion. Norexe apologised for using the term.
Council speaker Alfred Mtsi said: “This is a sensitive matter. The problem here is this recommendation. Saying someone has failed is a serious statement that casts doubt. Remember in the last council meeting there was a motion of no confidence (against Pakati) so this is a serious matter. Please calm down, councillors.”
Kodwa-Gajula requested an ANC caucus, saying councillors would destroy each other during the heated debate.
She said Toni’s stance on the matter was not the party’s caucus position.
During the heated debated, chaos broke out in the gallery when protesters started chanting, forcing the meeting to be adjourned for an early lunch.
The handful of ANC members and supporters from Mdantsane were calling for the removal of ANC ward 20 councillor Ntombizodwa Gamnca, who was suspended by her party on Monday following fraud and corruption allegations laid against her with the police and the party. She is accused of illegally selling houses in the township and failing to deliver the houses and title deeds.
Gamnca, who was in attendance and the meeting, left as demanded by the protesters.
The Mpac report was later approved subject to some toning down of recommendations.
Another issue that stirred up a heated debate was Sihlahla’s absence from Mpac meetings.
“Council [should] take appropriate action against the accounting officer, and investigate whether his actions do not amount to dereliction of duty,” said Kodwa-Gajula
Sihlahla denied not attending all the meetings.
He said he attended most of them and when he could not attend those, Bob Naidoo acted on his behalf...