Central SA
Expelled Mangaung councillors challenge High Court judgment─── LUCKY NKUYANE 09:30 Sat, 21 Oct 2023
“Seven of the expelled councillors, dubbed the M7, filed papers in court on Friday to challenge an order.”
Disgruntled former Mangaung ANC councillors have filed court papers challenging a Free State High Court's recent ruling.
OFM News previously reported that the ANC in Mangaung expelled eight ANC councillors on suspicion that they were working with opposition parties against the ruling party in the Mangaung Council.
However, seven of the expelled councillors, dubbed the M7, filed papers in court on Friday (20/10) to challenge an order which was given as a final interdict against them from representing the ANC in council.
In June this year, Judge Pitso Molitsoane confirmed an initial court order by his colleague Judge Ilse van Rhyn when she gave an interim order in favour of the ANC in Mangaung.
ANC had sought an order to bar these councillors from acting or representing the party in councillors under its banner. Judge Molitsoane gave an order with costs. This led to 4 by-elections set to be held in July 2023 which were all won by the ANC.
The party had applied to confirm an order after some of the councillors defied the party or ignored the earlier judgment by Judge Rhyn, by sitting in a council meeting that elected opposition party leader Papi Mokoeana as the Executive Mayor of the ailing Metro on 14 April 2023.
On Thursday 1 June 2023, Acting Judge Sharon Chisiwe confirmed her interim order which she delivered on 20 April 2023. The 20 April order temporarily barred the Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats President, Papi Mokoena, from executing his duties as the metro mayor.
This after the ANC dragged the council and Mokoena to court after a council sitting on 14 April duly elected him as the executive mayor.
Mokoena was elected unopposed as the new mayor of the metro on Friday 14 April 2023 during a heavily guarded council sitting.
A total of 53 councillors, including the council speaker Maryke Davies, formed a quorum and according to Davies, this allowed a sitting.
Then Acting City Manager, Tebogo Motlashuping, and other officials, including the Head of Departments and members of the Independent Electoral Commission, declined to attend the sitting due to safety concerns.
