Defiant 6 face ANC’s wrath for saving embattled mayor

Council meeting collapsed in April as mayoral committee members avoided removing Maimane, who obtained an interdict against recall by the ANC. The ANC has hauled six of its councillors in Madibeng local municipality to a hearing before the party’s provincial disciplinary committee after they defied the party caucus position to vote out the embattled mayor, Douglas Maimane. The six joined forces with the EFF and DA members who walked out of a council meeting in April, where an ANC-initiated motion of no-confidence in Maimane was to be voted on. Six ANC councillors’ walkout saved mayor The councillors, who are mayoral committee members and Maimane’s loyalists, apparently avoided removing the mayor from his seat. Supported by opposition parties, which also staged a walkout, the councillors deemed the action against Maimane illegal, since the mayor had obtained an interdict against his recall by the ANC. The walkout collapsed the council meeting, as a quorum could not be reached, and Maimane survived the no-confidence motion. The ANC’s plan to oust Maimane is a sequel to a leaked audio recording – widely circulated on social media – that purportedly captured the mayor in conversation with opposition members, urging them to campaign and vote against the ANC, and allegedly offering them at least R200 000 each. In the clip, he is heard saying he no longer cared as his term was nearing an end. Leaked recording The remarks infuriated Luthuli House, which had long sought his removal over allegations of corruption, nepotism and interference in staff appointments. But Maimane denied the audio allegations and had previously rejected claims of nepotism by hiring family members. The ANC ordered him to step down, but he refused and approached the high court, saying secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s decision to force him to resign was based on flawed information. The court ruled in his favour, granting an interdict allowing him to remain in office – for now. But the North West ANC still decided to take disciplinary action against the six councillors for putting the party into disrepute after they failed to act on the party’s instruction to remove Maimane.