20 September 2006
Mayor of Cape Town, Helen Zille, and the ANC are at logger-heads over the latest controversial ANC bid to change the mayoral executive system.
The DA-led multi-party government has slammed the ANC’s bid to topple the city’s administration as a “malicious” and “blatant abuse of power” by a party unwilling to accept its role as the opposition.
MEC for local government and housing, Richard Dyantyi, sent out a letter of this proposed amendment to the executive mayoral committee.
However, two hours before the letter was sent, Dyantyi’s spokesperson, Vusi Tshose continued to deny that such a letter had been drafted and signed.
The announcement by Dyantyi ended weeks of speculation that plans were afoot to strip Zille of her power.
According to the Cape Times, Zille said the city “had seen it coming” after ANC provincial chairman, James Ngculu, reportedly announced at a campaign launch last week that “we must remove the DA from any semblance of power”.
The report stated that the current system represented only half the voters and that key decisions were being forced through with a majority of one or two votes.
If the change is approved, Cape Town will be the only council out of 29 in the Western Cape not using the mayoral executive system.
Zille states that the change will be a waste of time, money, energy and would destabilise the city.
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