By Zuko Komisa
Mncedi Ndzwanana, an ATM councillor is the new speaker of the City of Tshwane council.
Mncedi Ndzwanana, a councillor for the African Transformation Movement (ATM), has been elected as the new speaker of the City of Tshwane council.
On Monday night, he won the election. Kholofelo Morodi of ActionSA lost out to Ndzwanana, who was supported by the ANC-led coalition, for the post.
He received 105 votes, while Morodi only scored 37. There was a total of 69 votes declared spoilt by the Electoral Commission of South Africa.
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The DA’s councillors are alleged to have been given a number [1-69] and instructed to vote using that number — instead of the customary ‘X’ — so the party agent could determine if any caucus member did not vote in accordance with the mandate given.
The 69 ballots from the DA caucus were all disqualified and marked as spoilt.
The DA-led multi-party coalition has lodged a formal objection to the outcome of the election of speaker in the Tshwane council.
— Kaya 959 News (@KayaNews) March 14, 2023
ATM councillor Mncedi Ndzwanana has been elected to the position. NR #TshwaneCouncil pic.twitter.com/mowpXR8I1X
According to DA caucus head Cilliers Brink, who claimed that the party did not approve the result slip, a possible rerun of Monday’s council meeting will be discussed with the party’s legal team.
“Our mark next to the candidate was clear. We made a marking of our own. The electoral law in this country is very clear, whatever you do on the ballot paper whether circle and number you indicate clearly your intention that is a valid vote.
“We believe the IEC has erred here today and we believe this decision is reviewable. We clearly didn’t want our votes to be discarded and if they were counted, we would have a multi-party coalition. Those votes could’ve given us a speaker.”
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