PRETORIA, Gauteng — The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane has officially submitted a motion of no confidence against Council Speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana. The political maneuver follows a damning high court ruling that declared Ndzwanana’s conduct during a crucial council vote unlawful, sparking renewed instability in the municipality just months before local government elections.
The motion stems from a highly controversial incident where the speaker arbitrarily deducted 13 votes from a recorded council tally. According to the court, none of the councilors whose votes were removed were even present in the chamber at the time. This manipulation of the vote enabled the unlawful suspension of Tshwane City Manager Johann Mettler—a decision the DA successfully challenged and overturned in court. The presiding judge noted that the speaker had misconstrued council rules and orders, ultimately abusing his power to force the suspension.
High Court Ruling and Political Motivations
Tshwane DA Deputy Chief Whip Dikeledi Selowa stated that the speaker lacks a legitimate mandate from the public, noting that not even a third of residents voted for his party. She argued that Ndzwanana has consistently abused his position to favor the ANC and EFF coalition that elected him.
“He deducted the votes to ensure that the city manager is suspended because the city manager was stopping unlawful contracts,” Selowa explained. She emphasized that Mettler’s strict financial oversight, tightening of the municipal purse, and legal reviews of contracts threatened the coalition’s interests. Furthermore, the city manager was actively blocking the return of the chief financial officer, prompting the coalition to seek his removal.
Selowa described the speaker as compromised and heavily controlled by the coalition, arguing that he fails to maintain the required impartiality and integrity of the council.
An “Ethics Test” Ahead of Local Elections
While the DA acknowledges it may not hold the outright numbers to pass the motion alone, the party is framing the upcoming vote as a critical “ethics test” for ActionSA. Selowa challenged the opposition party to prioritize the residents of Tshwane over political alliances.
She pointed out that on numerous occasions, the speaker has been found guilty by the rules and ethics committee regarding his rulings. Furthermore, he is frequently absent during heated council agendas, allowing an ANC councilor to take the chair. The DA is now calling on ActionSA to cross the floor on this specific issue and vote to remove a speaker who has been legally proven to be unfit to rule over the council.
Service Delivery Failures vs. PR Exercises
With local government elections only three months away, the DA highlighted the severe decline in basic service delivery across the city. Residents continue to bear the brunt of the political wrangling, facing constant issues with water supply and electricity.
Selowa pointed to a recently burnt-out substation affecting the majority of Centurion—a substation the DA had previously planned to upgrade and rebuild. She also cited dilapidated roads and dark townships devoid of working high-mast lighting or street safety lights.
Contrasting these failures with the current administration’s activities, Selowa accused the coalition of relying heavily on “PR exercises.” She alleged that the current leadership spends its time cutting ribbons on projects originally planned and funded under previous DA financial management, rather than delivering basic services. “When it gets hot in the city of Tshwane, the political leadership is nowhere to be seen,” she noted.
Next Steps and Future Scrutiny
Should the motion of no confidence fail, the DA plans to continue its aggressive oversight. Selowa warned that a failure would simply highlight that opposing parties do not have the residents’ best interests at heart.
The party intends to keep questioning municipal operations and plans to heavily scrutinize every decision and contract made by the current coalition—including matters related to Royal 5 and the Madlanga Commission—if they secure an outright majority in the upcoming polls. According to the DA, the ongoing political instability underscores the urgent need for residents to elect a government capable of delivering value for money and reliable basic services.