TSHWANE EFF CONDEMNS ACTIONSA AND DA'S LIE DETECTOR TESTS AGAINST COUNCILLORS PARTICIPATING IN THE ELECTION OF TSHWANE EXECUTIVE MAYOR
Thursday, 02 March 2023
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Tshwane is appalled by ActionSA and Democratic Alliance (DA) decision to subject councillors to lie detector tests, following a secret ballot election of the new Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane Municipality.
The decision of the ActionSA and DA is a violation of the councillors' constitutional rights to fulfil their responsibilities effectively in the municipal council. Schedule 3 of the Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998 under Section 6 (a) gives councillors powers to elect office bearers through a secret ballot if more than one candidate accepts a nomination. The lie detector tests against councillors doing their work are not just morally inappropriate, but also inhumane and insensitive for the DA and ActionSA to do.
The election of the Executive Mayor is a legislative competency of the municipal council exercised by 213 duly elected members. Conducting selective lie detector tests on democratic processes of the municipal council, violates the competence of the council to conduct its business freely and fairly. Tshwane EFF will not remain silent when municipal council decisions and outcomes are violated by forces outside the municipal chamber.
Tshwane municipal council is constituted by the ANC, DA, EFF, ACTIONSA, VF PLUS, ACDP, AIC, ATM, COPE, DOP, GOOD, IFP, PA, PAC and RC. The outcome of the executive mayor's election is a collective exercise of the municipal council, why then has this matter been relegated into a political party squables. This deplorable decision by the DA and ActionSA is not just a political party matter, it is a dangerous action to decimate and incapacitate Tshwane municipal council going forward and must be defended by all parties in council. The secret ballot as legally permissible is premised on the consciousness of respective councillors and their gravitation to persuasion, which should never be manipulated by a machine to achieve political ends.
The DA and ActionSA dangerous stunts must be curtailed before they put all members of the municipal council at risk. The frivolity of this ill-conceived idea has the potential to destabilize the council and precipitate assassinations, which have characterized political intolerance in our society. Tshwane EFF calls on the parties to desist this ludicrous move to preserve the culture and climate of political independence in our municipal council.
Calling on the Office of Speaker in the City of Tshwane Munucipality, this action by the DA and ActionSA must be discouraged. It is imperative for the Speaker's Office to implore the intervention of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) where warranted to protect our municipal council. Clearly, this move tentatively transgresses the provisions of the Electoral legislation meant to ensure credible processes of governance in the municipal councils.
This decision by the DA and ActionSA amounts to victimization of councillors, who have an obligation to carry out the duties of council as legally and ethically as possible. Whilst political parties reserve the right to guide councillors, subjecting councillors to a lie detector test is disgraceful and constitutes personal violation of the highest order.
For the protection of the municipal council, Tshwane EFF is opposed to any measures available to probe the dynamics of personal discretion in the secret ballot process. Even if the DA and ActionSA can go as far as procuring the services of a prophet, sangoma or fortune-teller to establish the so-called distractors, Tshwane EFF will remain vehemently opposed to the abuse of secret ballot outcomes as facilitated by the municipal council.
Tshwane EFF commend all political parties who have not taken such a humiliating, unconstitutional and illegal stance against their councillors. Furthermore, we will lobby councillors to pursue legal action through their representatives should this move proceed as proposed by these parties. The Executive Mayor, Dr Makwarela must be given space to do his work, his opponent must simply pack his bags and return to the national assembly in Cape Town where he comes from, he is not indispensable.
Statement issued by EFF Tshwane Regional Command Team Regional Chairperson, Obakeng Ramabodu, 2 March 2023
