The Congress of the People (Cope) has fired City of Johannesburg Council Speaker Colleen Makhubele as a member of the party.
This after Makhubele allegedly signed the party up for an alliance with the newly formed pact, the South African Rainbow Alliance (SARA).
Makhubele allegedly lied about the party’s affiliation with the alliance.
The party said on Monday that she has terminated her own membership by acting unduly.
She serves as a campaign face for the alliance and was chosen as the candidate president of the pact.
Makhubele and another Tshwane councillor fired
“A councillor (Makhubele) in Johannesburg municipality has her name on the posters and on the poles.
“[The media circulated that] as a member of SARA.
“As such she has terminated her own membership of congress,” said the party’s acting secretary-general Eric Matlaphamswe.
Another councillor in the City of Tshwane has also been fired.
The party alleges that the councillor, Ofentse Moalusi, serves as a chairperson of SARA.
In violation of Cope constitution
This according to Matlaphamswe, is a violation of the party’s constitution.
He confirmed that the party has issued notices of dismissal to the two councillors.
“Correspondents are on their way to the former comrades because we have terminated their membership ever since they joined SARA.”
Motion to dissolve Joburg and Tshwane councils
Sunday World understands that Makhubele would not be able to continue as a speaker as she can no longer serve as a Cope councillor, the party she was deployed under.
This development yields bad results for the DA, which is on a mission to have the Joburg council dissolved.
This is because without a speaker, council cannot proceed with the proposed motion.
The party announced earlier this month that it would file a motion to dissolve the Joburg council on Friday.
The DA said in October that the main reason it wants to dissolve the city council is because it is ineffective.
At the time, it argued that the city’s leadership, including mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and his MMCs, were engaged in unnecessary ventures while neglecting service delivery.
Accused of having failed the city.
The party also said Makhubele, who had promised change, has failed.
“The puppet mayor and his MMCs are squabbling in public, roads are exploding, city-owned buildings are catching fire, and the city is deteriorating while they spend time and limited resources on unnecessary ventures such as the renaming of a street.
“Colleen Makhubele’s promise that she will ‘bring the ANC back to Johannesburg’ has now truly come to fruition.
“The City of Johannesburg has been captured, and it happened at the hands of those who were supposed to be responsible for safeguarding it,” said the DA.
It remains to be seen what would become of the DA’s desire to spring-clean the council.
The story will be updated with Makhubele’s comment once received.
