Speaker of the City of Johannesburg, Vasco da Gama.
Felix Dlangamandla, Gallo Images, Beeld, file
- IFP Councilor Sbusisa Phakati has been stripped of his position as a Joburg party councilor after voting to remove Speaker Vasco da Gama.
- The party announced his immediate recall after finding him guilty of bringing the IFP into disrepute through insubordination.
- It claimed that he is an active participant in the coalition government and the vote of no confidence was not authorized by the IFP.
The dust is beginning to settle after cracks appeared in Johannesburg’s multi-party government last month.
The IFP has fired its councilor who voted for a vote of no confidence in council speaker Vasco da Gama.
The party on Wednesday announced the immediate recall of Sbusis Phakati as a councilor and member of the IFP’s Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) after it found him guilty of bringing the party into disrepute by insubordination.
The party’s statement said: “[The] The IFP is an active participant in the City of Johannesburg’s coalition government; and the movement in question was not sanctioned by the IFP or coalition partners.
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“After receiving a report from the IFP faction and the IFP Gauteng PEC, the said councilor was charged. His case was heard – in his presence – in accordance with section 11.10 of the IFP constitution, on Saturday 10 September 2022.”
On August 31, during the council meeting, a vote of no confidence in Gama was introduced.
The IFP’s mandate at the Johannesburg meeting was not to support the proposal.
Along the same lines, Chair of Chairs Councilor Colin Makhubele is being investigated by her party, Cope, for the same reasons.
Makhubela failed to hold a special council meeting on Tuesday after the city manager’s emergency restraining order was heard on Monday.
She had appointed herself acting speaker in Da Gama’s place and wanted to hold a meeting to vote for an official speaker.
It should be noted that at the next meeting of the council, it was indicated that a vote of no confidence may be passed against Mayor Mpho Phalatse.
Cope distanced himself from Makhubele’s behavior.
