Madibeng local municipality in Brits has obtained an urgent interim interdict against 10 ANC councillors who participated in a protest demanding the resignation of the mayor and senior officials, alleging corruption and nepotism.
According to the interdict obtained by the municipality on Wednesday, the 10 councillors, with chief whip Peter Padi cited as the first respondent, were restrained from removing any one, including employees of the municipality and members of the public, from the municipal premises.
Court order restricts councillors from disrupting operations
They were also interdicted from blocking the road around the municipal premises including its satellite offices, fire stations and licensing station.
They were further interdicted from intimidating, threatening or preventing members of the public from accessing and obtaining various services at the municipality.
If anyone of them wanted to oppose the municipality’s relief application, they should pay the costs of the application.
The ANC councillors spent this week toyi-toyiing, singing freedom songs and calling for mayor Douglas Maimane to step down.
They accuse the mayor of corruption and practising nepotism by hiring family members in the municipality.
The councillors alleged that Maimane was protecting Madibeng municipal manager Quiet Kgatla.
His hiring was flagged in a forensic investigation commissioned by the MEC for cooperative governance because he was allegedly not qualified for the job.
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ANC councillors protest against mayor and senior officials
Maimane is also fingered for allegedly blocking the tabling of the MEC’s investigative report in the council, allegedly because he was implicated.
The ANC councillors this week addressed a gathering of residents who were also aggrieved against the municipality, which they accused of failing to deliver services to the communities.
One by one, the councillors explained the problems besetting the municipality as a result of Maimane’s people allegedly discriminating against certain wards because their councillors were allegedly Maimane’s foes.
Some villagers who attended the protest complained about a lack of water, roads and other services.
Protest escalates as police fire rubber bullets
During the protest on Tuesday, police fired rubber bullets at protesters to disperse them. The police could not confirm if anyone was injured in the action.
Meanwhile ANC provincial chair Nono Maloyi cautioned the party councillors about their actions.
He said the regional ANC is addressing the impasse and will respond when it has considered a report that is being drawn up.
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