The ANC says the DA is making a “mockery of the democracy it claims to uphold”, after reports emerged that the party will subject its councillors in Mogale City Local Municipality to lie-detector tests following the removal of DA Mayor Michael Holenstein.

Holenstein was removed last week following a motion of no confidence, where 39 councillors voted in favour, while 38 voted against the motion.

The DA led a coalition government in the municipality which means one councillor from the coalition voted with the ANC leading to Holenstein’s ousting.

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News24 reports that DA councillors were taking the tests willingly and financing it themselves, according to DA Gauteng leader John Moodey.

The ANC said on Wednesday that by not accepting the results, the DA was showing South Africans that it could not be trusted.

“DA will say and claim to fight for anything for purposes of political expedience, while in reality and within their own party they stand opposed and will enforce draconian measures against the very “freedoms” they claim they want for others,” said the ANC in a statement.

HISTORY (7 JUNE 2017)

Michael Holenstein, the Democratic Alliance (DA) mayor of Mogale City in the West Rand, has been removed through a motion of no confidence tabled by the African National Congress (ANC).

A single vote resulted in Holenstein losing his position in the problem-plagued council. A total of 39 votes were in favour of the motion, while 38 were against the motion.

The ANC said it tabled the motion of no confidence on the basis of “gross violation of laws governing local government by the executive mayor”.

“We had to act swiftly and decisively to avoid the municipality falling under administration on the grounds of these numerous violations,” ANC West Rand deputy chairman Mzi Khumalo said on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately for the people of Mogale City, this is the second time that a mayor has been removed from this seat since August 2016. We had maintained consistently that the DA/EFF coalition was collapsing the municipality through sheer incompetence and decline of service delivery since the coalition took over the city.”

The troubled DA and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) coalition council has been marred by spats after last year’s local government elections. The ANC lost control of the municipality after the polls.

The rift between the political parties at the municipality saw Holenstein axe two ANC officials, Speaker Patrick Naga Lipudi and chief whip Sipho Dube in January. A no confidence vote was passed against the two who were replaced by Enerst Modise and Jacque Hoon, both DA officials.

The ANC was up in arms and branded that council meeting illegal, prompting Cooperative Governance MEC Paul Mashatile to intervene and reinstate Lipudi and Dube.

Holenstein was elected mayor in December last year, following the resignation of the DA’s Lynn Pannall due to ill health.

Holenstein took the mayoral position after beating Lipudi and with 39 against 38.

Pannall had also beaten the ANC’s Peace Mabe by a single vote to take over as mayor after the municipal elections.

The council would elect its third mayor since last year’s elections at its next sitting.

– Politics and Development Hub

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