Johannesburg - The DA in Ekurhuleni seems to be crumbling, with a number of councillors resigning and more expected to do so.
The Star has seen two resignation letters from the Chief Whip of Council, Alderman Khetha Shandu, the Chair of an Oversight Committee and Ward 25 Councillor Peter Henning.
In Henning’s resignation letter, he claims that the municipality is in trouble and that there has been little service delivery under the minority government in that region.
“It has been a very hard decision, and it took me a month to get to this final decision. My health (from being stressed out) has suffered tremendously over the last 12 months, and with the total lack of service delivery and no support from all departments in Ekurhuleni, I cannot fulfil my mandate as a ward councillor to the residents. Thank you for the support I have received from my time in office,” he said.
The Star understands that there were delays in Thursday’s council meeting because of the resignation of the chief whip. In his resignation letter, he wrote: “I hereby write this letter to formally inform you of my resignation as the Whip of Council and a councillor of the City of Ekurhuleni due to personal reasons and with immediate effect. Thank you for the support I have received from my time in office,” he said.
ActionSA provincial leader Bongani Baloyi said these resignations were indicative of the implosion taking place as a result of the DA’s failures to lead coalitions.
“Both councillors Shandu and Henning also resigned as City of Ekurhuleni councillors, with Henning citing a ‘total lack of service delivery’ as the reason for his resignation,” Baloyi said.
He said the resignation of Henning and Shandu further strengthened ActionSA’s belief that the DA-led coalition government had failed to address the decline in service delivery in Ekurhuleni.
Meanwhile, the ANC in Ekurhuleni has asked the DA minority government to surrender and hand over the municipality to the ANC.
ANC regional spokesperson Lesiba Mpya said service delivery had become problematic since the DA took over government. He said there was no reason for Tania Campbell to stay on as mayor.
“We are told that there are more resignations on the way. The DA councillors do not even believe in their own government, it tells you that they have failed,” he said.
Mpya appealed to the speaker of the council, Raymond Dlamini, to stop delaying the inevitable and also resign. A government of local unity is expected to emerge once the DA steps out of office. This will be led by the minority parties with the aid of the ANC and the EFF.
The Star