City of Joburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse has filed an urgent application to stop the highly anticipated special council meeting in which a motion of no confidence would be tabled against her.
The speaker, Colleen Makhubele, announced on Thursday that the city will convene a special council meeting on Friday morning following calls for Phalatse to step down.
The embattled mayor wants the Johannesburg High Court to declare the Speaker’s notice to convene the meeting to be declared unlawful and invalid. Phalatse is arguing that the Speaker did not follow the rules of council.
According to Phalatse, council rules of order warrant that motions of no confidence be submitted 14 days prior to the meeting.
In an open letter on Thursday, Phalatse reached out to Joburg residents asking them to help her keep the mayorship. The desperate mayor said she is grateful for the support she has received in her short tenure and suggested that the city might crumble without her administration. She said the residents will struggle.
Phalatse also vowed that she is not going to resign despite mounting pressure for her to surrender.
Reads the letter: “I will not be resigning, and I along with the 10 Members of the Mayoral Committee intend on completing our electoral term of office so that we can build this beautiful City, across its seven Regions, and call it a City of Golden Opportunities, where all residents feel that they are part of a beautifully diverse community.”
“This is not about me or political parties, this is about you, the 6-million residents of the City, who will ultimately suffer should this Multi-Party Government be dissolved through a motion of confidence in the Executive Mayor.
“As we speak, there are nefarious actors working to urgently convene a meeting of Council to dissolve the Multi-Party Government and subsequently elect what can best be described as a corrupt cabal that will masquerade as a government. Their only focus will be to empty the Gity’s coffers, stop service delivery and collapse the City.”
Phalatse asked the residents to voice out their opinions on social media and hinder the council from removing her.
“Residents of Joburg, we have seen and live daily with the destruction of State Capture. The agenda of the political hyenas is to capture and collapse the City.
“You and I cannot allow this to happen. Make your voices heard on social media, radio, TV by joining the campaign #HandsOffloburg! Lobby your Councillors to protect and uphold YOUR interests.
“I love Joburg. I love you, our residents of Joburg. God bless you all!”
[OPEN LETTER] Dear Residents of @CityofJoburgZA pic.twitter.com/pBX0QpVpUd
— Executive Mayor Mpho Phalatse (@mphophalatse1) September 29, 2022
Also read: Plan to remove Phalatse as Joburg mayor gains momentum
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