More casualties have fallen in the fight for the City of Johannesburg after the new ANC-led government succeeded in removing DA-aligned Chief Whip Tyrell Meyers in a motion of no confidence.
The removal of Meyers means that the top three positions in the City of Johannesburg are no longer in DA control. These positions include the Council Speaker and Executive Mayor jobs.
Some DA leaders interjected and tried fighting for Meyers to retain his post, but the numbers were simply against the DA with 135 voting for Meyers’ removal as Chief Whip.
The DA’s Wendy Alexander said: “What we have here today is a motion under the guise of no confidence. We can all see what we have here is a corrupt government driven by power and greed. If (being) fit for purpose was the deciding factor, we wouldn’t be here today.”
The motion of no confidence against Meyers was proposed by the ANC’s Eunice Mgcina who said: “Madam Speaker I stand to propose a motion of no confidence against the Chief Whip of Council Tyrell Meyers and recommend that the motion of no confidence against the Whip be passed.”
The next motion was against the chairperson of the Section 79 Rules Committee Meshack Van Wyk. Van Wyk, who is also aligned to the DA, was accused of failing to execute his duties and destabilising the business of council.
The passing of his motion led to the passing of several other motions of no confidence. This meant that a significant number of chairpersons of Section 79 committees associated with the DA and the former Multi Party Coalition were removed from their positions.
The Speaker of Council, Colleen Makhubele, remained resolute on her decision to allow the motions of no confidence to be voted on despite complaints from the DA and ActionSA.
Some of the complaints were that the motions were still fresh and hadn’t passed the test of being admitted in a council meeting.
The motions of no confidence came as no surprise as the new government was trying to ensure that the new coalition functions under new leaders who weren’t part of the old DA administration.
The South Gauteng High Court has yet to pronounce on the legal matter brought by the former mayor of Johannesburg, Mpho Phalatse, who had challenged her removal as mayor and sought the courts to reinstate her and her government.