By Thys Khiba – The African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State has filed an urgent interdict to stop seven expelled ANC councillors from attending and participating in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality special council meeting on Friday.
The High Court of South Africa Free State Division in Bloemfontein Judge Ilse van Rhyn has ruled in favour of the ANC on the matter.
Judge Van Rhyn ruled that the expelled councillors are banned from attending the special council meeting scheduled for Friday, 14 April.
“The respondents are interdicted and restrained from in any way further acting as Councillors of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.
“The Respondents are further interdicted and restrained from performing any associated function germane and/or related to the holding of a position of a Councillor of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.”
The expelled councillors, namely Lehlohonolo Moqolo, Patrick Monyakoana, Makoa Cristophel Lelala, Mapaseka Mothibi-Nkoane, Chabeli Frank Rampai, Puseletso Leticia Seleke, MphoMokoakoa have been ordered by the court to pay the costs of the ANC’s urgent application on the scale as between attorney and client.
In reaction to the court judgement, the ANC Provincial Secretary, Comrade Polediso Motsoeneng has welcomed the findings and orders of the Bloemfontein High Court.
“The ANC is pleased that the honourable court agreed with our arguments which interdicted the participation of former Councillors who were expelled as public representatives on the ticket of the ANC,” said Motsoeneng.
ANC Provincial Secretary Polediso Motsoeneng.
Motsoeneng indicated that the expelled councillors deliberately ignored the sanction and ‘proceeded to purport to represent’ the party in the council sitting that was scheduled for today.
The party indicated that it has finalised the process to identify and appoint 3 councillors who will step in as Proportional Representation (PR) Councillors, pending the finalization of the processes of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
“The ANC is also ready to contest by-elections in all the 4 wards where vacancies have occurred as a result of the decisions taken against these affected councillors,” Motsoeneng said.
At least 52 councillors including the expelled ANC councillors Mothibi-Nkoane and Monyakoana voted for the AfrikanAlliance of Social Democrats (AASD) Papi Mokoena to be elected as the new executive mayor of the City of Mangaung.
“The ANC has noted that the Speaker of Mangaung, Councillor Maryke Davies, has, with a degree of inordinate amount of desperation, and with full knowledge, presided over a meeting where people who were barred from participating in a meeting, to justify the legitimacy of ensuring that a quorum is achieved for the meeting to proceed.
“Further legal challenge will be pursued by the ANC to ensure that justice is preserved. It is unfortunate that the ANC would further institute criminal charges against the Speaker, together with these expelled Councillors who blatantly ignored a court order that was timeously served before the proceedings of that Council,” said Motsoeneng.
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