ANC and DA team up in Kimberley – boot out mayor Matika

Rogue African National Congress (ANC) members sided with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in a bid to remove Sol-Plaatje municipality mayor, Mangaliso Matika. The motion of no confidence succeeded and has left the ANC provincial executive fuming.

It should be celebrated as a joyous occasion – for weeks the Northern Cape town of Kimberley has been rocked by vicious protests; residents calling for the removal of mayor Matika.

Read: Kimberley protests – Police call for urgent reinforcements

Protests escalated to a point where police reinforcements had to be called in to contain the situation. Matika was accused of gross nepotism relating to a social housing scandal and angered residents further with his perceived nonchalant attitude.

The DA initiated the motion of no confidence in the ANC mayor, and in an unusual turn of events, members of Matika’s own party turned against him. While Kimberley residents and opposition parties are celebrating the mayor’s removal, the ANC at large is left enraged.

Although Matika has been replaced by another ANC cadre, Pule Thabane, Times Live report that the party’s provincial secretary‚ Deshi Ngxanga, has called for the immediate suspension of ‘rebel councillors’.

Punishment for ANC members

Ngxanga confirmed that the party would be implementing an immediate disciplinary process, dealing with ANC members who supported the DA’s motion of no confidence, saying:

“As for the ANC councillors that collaborated with the opposition‚ the ANC constitution dictates that they must summarily be suspended and subjected to a disciplinary process. These comrades will now be subjected to the ANC constitutional processes. ANC councillors are cautioned against voting with the opposition.”

‘Motion of no confidence illegal’ – ANC

Ngxanga maintains that the council meeting on Wednesday which voted Matika out was, in fact, illegal. The party’s provincial secretary went further, adding that the DA was attempting to overthrow the city’s ANC administration, saying:

“This is a desperate attempt by the DA to take over the governance of the city through a ‘coup d’état’”.