LOUIS TRICHARDT – A new and highly controversial decision-making process for the Makhado Municipality was recently adopted at a special meeting. The recommendation to adopt this far- reaching and contentious change was put verbally during the meeting. No supporting documentation was available to councillors.

The opposition DA member, Cllr Marie Helm immediately requested her party's objection to the proposed new process to be recorded. Councillors were not served with any written documentation about the proposal before the meeting. The revolutionary change comes after what observers see as increasing evidence of a massive power struggle between the Mayor and the Executive Committee on the one side and Council and its officials on the other side.

The Chief Whip of the ANC in the Makhado Municipal Council, Cllr Moses Tseli, who introduced the recommendation during the meeting, said in an interview afterwards that according to the new process, municipal officials are no longer going to make recommendations to the Executive Committee. They will instead make it to the relevant Portfolio Sub-Committees .

Earlier, Mr Peter Magwala from the Mayor's office, explained that the new process will be more in line with that of the provincial and national legislators.

He gave the explanation after a public outcry over rumours that the Mayor was suspending all further meetings of the Executive Committee and would in future singlehandedly decide which issues may be brought to the Executive Committee and to Council and that the Portfolio Committees would decide whether or not to report the expert inputs from officials in their suggestions to the Executive Committee.

These rumours gained momentum when the Mayor unilaterally called off a scheduled meeting of the Exco and burst into a tantrum when he was asked for a clarification by the media. He then slammed down the telephone. This gave further credence to observations that the mayor, who is a political party appointment, is increasingly acting like an executive mayor with extraordinary authoritarian powers.

According to Councillor Tseli's explanation the Portfolio Sub-Committee will submit the recommendations to the Executive Committee through the Portfolio Councillor. In practice his recommendations will, however, first be screened and, if necessary, modified or vetoed by the mayor.

Each Portfolio Councillor will be available for giving clarification to the Council during its meetings with regard to proposals which relate to his/her Portfolio. The Chairman of the Executive Committee will present all recommendations of the Executive Committee before Council.

These Portfolio Committees will meet twice a month prior to the Executive Committee meeting to debate issues to be considered by the Executive Committee.

According to the re-commendation the possibility will be investigated of establishing Portfolio Council Committees which will report to Council on the activities of Portfolio Sub-Committees on a quarterly basis.

There are proposed Portfolio Sub-Committees for Human Recourses and Municipal Secretariat, for Finance and LED, for Technical Services and for Community Services.

The resolution called on the Municipal Manager to implement the arrangements in the resolution as soon as possible.

The recommendation concludes with the note that: "The process is adopted with due allowance of the Council's Standing Orders, which will be adhered to from time to time."

During the same meeting, several other items were adopted.

Council adopted a recommendation reviewing the housing allocation for 900 units during the 2002/2003 Financial Year. It also adopted a recommendation that new posts of personal assistants should be created. Mr Tseli said Council was going to advertise three positions for Executive Personal Assistants to the Mayor, the Speaker and the Municipal Manager. Cllr Helm of the DA registered an objection against this decision, upon which Cllr Tseli referred to the objections and remarked: "The ANC is more than ready to take charge of the municipality as a means to transform the country. We will do this with or without the DA. We will continue to rule."

In a press statement after the Special Council meeting the DA said it noted with concern that, as usual, uninformed decisions had been taken and bulldozed through by the ANC. It also noted the ANC's irritation and disapproval of any objections against these actions.

The DA predicted that the three positions on post level 3 are intended for the ANC elite and will not be contested equally amongst all applicants.

"It is clear that the ANC is not interested in democracy. The DA wishes to inform and warn the voters of this municipality that the time of oppression is not yet over. The struggle for real democracy is now at hand and more urgent than before. Changing the faces of oppressors doesn't take oppression and lawlessness away," the DA statement said. It stated that the new decision-making process effectively removes all checks and balances and makes accountability and transparency a mockery.

"It is high time now that residents of Makhado Municipality who are taxpayers, should stand up and speak out, because they are the ones to foot the bill for the ANC's political appointments."

One observer pointed out that the idea of bringing the decision- making process of the third level of government in line with that of the other levels, may sound logical but is in fact grossly uninformed. The difference is that members of the first two levels of government are accountable, whereas accountability at the third level of government rests squarely on the shoulders of the Municipal Manager.