The ANC has accused the Cape Town city council of meddling in its affairs and abstained from a vote on councillor Loyiso Nkohla.
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The ANC has accused the city council of meddling in its affairs and abstained from a vote on the fate of one of its councillors, Loyiso Nkohla, found guilty of misconduct for taking part in the poo protests.
“We’re not going to be told by other parties how to handle internal matters of the ANC,” ANC chief whip Xolani Sotashe said.
“We are encouraging people to stand up and challenge this administration on service delivery.”
Sotashe said the ANC noted the disciplinary committee’s recommendation that Nkohla be expelled, but it would not vote.
Ganief Hendricks, of Al Jama-ah, said the disciplinary committee had “jumped the gun” in censuring Nkohla. He said the matter was before the high court and the ANC had taken steps to deal with Nkohla.
He called for the matter to stand over as Nkohla was a young man and a first-time councillor.
But Anthea Serritslev, chairwoman of the disciplinary committee, said the throwing of faeces was not only unheard of in any other community, it was an extremely dangerous health hazard. The decision to recommend Nkohla’s expulsion had been “unanimously agreed after considering all the evidence”, she said.
Ferlon Christians, of the African Christian Democratic Party, said the party could not condone Nkohla’s behaviour and was disappointed in the ANC members of the council for “not taming this young lion”. He added that mayor Patricia de Lille should have done more to resolve the service delivery dispute.
Nkohla was found guilty on three charges of misconduct for taking part in the dumping of human waste at the Western Cape legislature and Cape Town International Airport. He was not found guilty of inciting a breakaway march last year, during a housing protest, that ended with looting and the destruction of property in the central business district. The committee found there was not enough evidence to link him to this.
Only 117 of the metro’s 221 councillors voted in favour of the recommendation to remove Nkohla from office. The ANC abstained and there were six other abstentions. One councillor voted against the recommendation. Local Government MEC Anton Bredell is to be asked to expel Nkohla from the council.
anel.lewis@inl.co.za
Cape Argus