MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – It would seem that drastic steps are needed to remedy the way in Council meetings are conducted. This, however, is not only the view of opposition councillors.

Following Council's quarterly meeting last week Tuesday, and a follow-up meeting this week, several councillors (including ANC councillors) expressed their concern that Council meetings are not conducted in a truly democratic fashion, as advocated by the government. Opposition councillors, as well as several ANC councillors, said they find it hard to raise objections against agenda items they do not agree with. In a recent incident, a councillor's objection was met with a "reprimand" from the Speaker, Cllr Joan Hoorzuk.

The reprimand followed Cllr Langanani Mashau's objections to Council's approval of its financial statements last Tuesday for the year ending on June 30, 2002. He based his objection on the fact that the Auditor General's recommendations regarding the statements were not available for review. In reaction to this, the Speaker, Cllr Hoorzuk, "reminded" him to remember where Council comes from and the awards they have received. She said that councillors "should not go on like this" and that they should not approach items "in a negative manner". She added that councillors should "restrain" themselves.

This week the Speaker again had her way in restraining an ANC councillor, Cllr Norman Mabila, from voicing his view regarding an agenda item by ordering him to sit down. Moments later Cllr Mabila rose to thank another councillor for asking the same question he had wanted to ask, but had not been given time to do so. Cllr Mabila then urged the Speaker to allow councillors to express their views with regard to agenda items in future.

Apart from the Speaker's actions, concern is also growing regarding the continuous delegation of power to the Municipal Manager. In this regard, Cllr Timothy Maanda of the DA said during last Tuesday's meeting that if this were to continue, Council would be reduced to a body merely receiving reports, with no power to deliberate on Council matters. The DA also staged a walkout on Tuesday this week, in protest to Council's continuous use of the phrase: "The resolution of the Executive Committee will be put verbally at the meeting". The DA is of the opinion that this does not leave councillors with enough time to apply their minds regarding agenda items up for approval. Council, on the other hand, is adamant that has no influence whatsoever on the decision-making process, as all Exco's resolutions appear in Exco's agenda, which is also handed to councillors prior to each Council meeting. In this regard, the DA says that, as Exco meets immediately prior to the Council meeting, they have the power to change their resolutions, leaving councillors somewhat in the dark as to their final decisions. This leaves the door wide open for Exco to spring surprises on Council during its quarterly meeting, with no one the wiser beforehand