DA councillors in the Msunduzi Municipality say a council meeting was rescheduled so ANC members could go “electioneering”.
|||Durban - The DA councillors in the Msunduzi Municipality (Pietermaritzburg) will not be attending Thursday’s full council meeting because it was rescheduled to allow ANC councillors to go “electioneering” on Wednesday, the party’s caucus leader says.
Bill Lambert said the meetings took place on the last Wednesday of every month. Agendas had been given out last week, but three days ago councillors were notified the meeting would not take place.
The executive committee meeting, which took place on Thursdays, was cancelled.
Lambert said ANC councillors were involved in launching a campaign against social ills - such as drugs and substance abuse, alcohol and teenage pregnancy - by Premier Zweli Mkhize and Finance MEC Ina Cronjé in Northdale.
A peaceful march took place before the launch.
Lambert said the party distanced itself from the “autocratic and dictatorial” approach of its opposition.
The decision had been taken unilaterally by the ANC-led council without consulting other opposition parties.
“The ANC is allowing its private election agenda to take precedence over statutory council meetings set well in advance to manage the affairs of the city, something which cannot be condoned during this municipality’s turnaround period,” Lambert said.
“The DA has therefore taken the stand not to attend this bilaterally adjourned meeting, because the management of city affairs cannot be jeopardised by ANC election plans and agendas.”
Speaker Baboo Baijoo confirmed the meeting had been postponed so that councillors could attend.
“It is a multiparty campaign. The focus is the war against drugs and crime - it’s not an ANC campaign.
“I felt it was an important enough reason to postpone the council meeting.
“We followed due process, and I contacted all party whips on Saturday and also placed a notice in the local paper.”
The Mercury