SIYABONGA SITHOLE
Johannesburg – On Tuesday, the DA was joined by other opposition parties in the Johannesburg City Council in laying charges of attempted bribery against the ANC for allegedly bribing council members to vote for the ousting of council speaker Vasco da Gama.
The DA was joined by ActionSA, Cope and the Patriotic Alliance following allegations of bribery and the circulation of brown envelopes aimed at ensuring that the speaker was booted out of council chambers.
Last week, Da Gama was voted out by members of the opposition during a 7th ordinary sitting at the city council.
According to DA leader Solly Msimanga, the allegations of bribery constitute a serious violation of laws and electoral fraud which should not be condoned.
“No one can embark on a process of buying councillors to do what they have not been sworn in to do. We have heard shocking stories of brown envelopes exchanged in the basement of council chambers. South Africa cannot afford this, especially going towards 2024.
“We need to make sure that South Africans know what they are voting for and that they get what they are voting for,“ the DA leader said.
On reports that the DA was bullying minority opposition parties in the city council and failed to acknowledge the views of other parties in the council, Msimanga said there was no such thing.
“Parties have three levels where issues can be robustly debated, but no one party can dominate another. People cannot be bought to change the mandate they have been given and do something else,” Msimanga said.
The Gauteng DA leader said he hoped that the matter brought before the police would be investigated properly to ensure that such practices were not allowed to taint the image of politics in the council. He also encouraged other members of the council to come forward with information of bribery.
However, the ANC in Johannesburg, led by chairperson Dada Morero, said it would visit the Hillbrow police station on Wednesday to follow up on previous charges against MMC Nkuli Mbundu and the mayor.
The ANC said it would be laying a formal complaint against councillor Leah Knott’s participation in the structures of the Johannesburg City Council with the Electoral Commission of SA before going to the Hillbrow police station.
“Criminal charges were laid against the mayor, Mpho Phalatse, pertaining to an R11 million donation made out by her office to the Field Band Foundation during her tenure as the Joburg MMC for health and social development. The donation was unsolicited and was not paid out in compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act regulations.
“The issue of Mbundu relates to his alleged violation of supply chain management processes relating to improper relations with Johannesburg City Council service providers,” the ANC said.
The Star