RUSTENBURG - The Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) walked out of Rustenburg council meeting on Tuesday, protesting that the meeting was not properly convened.
The F4SD and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) argued that the meeting was not properly convened as the agenda did not include the EFF sponsored motion of no confidence in Mayor Mpho Khunou and another item dealing with EFF whip Abinaar Matlhako.
Matlhoko insisted that the party 's motion was received 25 days before the council meeting and wanted the motion to be tabled.
He called on Speaker of council Sheila Mabale-Huma to postpone the meeting for seven days so that the motion could be part of the agenda.
Mabale-Huma explained that the agenda was sent out within the seven days but, once it realised that the EFF motion was not part of the agenda, a link containing the motion was sent to the councillor.
She took responsibility for the omission and apologised to the councillor, however, the F4SD's Pogiso Bothomane and Matlhoko wanted the meeting to be postponed.
Bothomane argued that the part containing the EFF motion could not be treated as a second part of the agenda.
"This motion is part of the agenda it cannot be treated as an additional item or information to the agenda, we cannot separate it from the original agenda," he said before he told the speaker that F4SD councillors would not be part of an illegal meeting.
Other parties wanted the motion of no confidence against the mayor to be tabled at the next sitting of the council and moved that the meeting should proceed with the agenda that was first sent to councillors.
The EFF who had indicated that they wanted the meeting to be postponed, refused to leave the council chamber when Mabale-Huma ruled that the meeting would proceed and those who were against it were free to leave.
EFF councillor shouted " motion, motion" while they banged on tables, forcing Mabale-Huma to briefly adjourned the meeting.
"We are not going to leave. We are protecting this council. Your ruling is illegal," Matlhoko said.
Jane Mpolokeng of the EFF told Mabale-Huma that she only used rules against opposition councillors and when the rules were against her (Mabale-Huma) she wanted the council to accept that the was an oversight in not sending the whole single agenda to councillors, instead, it was sent in two pieces.
"Speaker you are not fair, we want our motion," she said.