Court order retains status quo in Tshwane
The Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) has ruled in favour of the DA in its bid to hold on to the Tshwane municipality.
The court held that the application by the DA to challenge the removal of Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa and Speaker Katlego Mathebe, and the appointment of Acting Speaker Obakeng Ramabodu, should be heard as a matter of urgency.
It said the effects of these decisions are suspended pending the final determination of review proceedings by the DA to set such actions aside.
BusinessLIVE notes that after the removal of Mokgalapa and Mathebe through no-confidence motions at a council meeting on 5 December, the DA obtained an interim order the next day suspending the decisions, pending a review application. However, this decision was challenged by the ANC, which asked the court to overturn the interim order.
However, Judge Neil Tuchten said the applications for review by the DA must be instituted within seven days of the order he made. He said the two applications by the DA would be consolidated and enrolled and heard as a matter of urgency.
One application deals with the appointment of Ramabodu, the removal of Mathebe and the adoption of a motion of no confidence in Mokgalapa.
The other application was against all the resolutions passed by the city at a special council meeting on 5 December.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
