By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Tyrone Gray, the DA mayor of Mogale City, was ousted through a motion of no confidence, barely hours after a court ordered the reinstatement of 40 ANC and EFF councillors who had been fired by the council’s speaker.
The Johannesburg High Court has ruled that 40 Mogale City councillors who had been fired be reinstated immediately.
Speaker Jacqueline Pannal, had fired the councillors for failing to attend council. She further ignored an instruction from Cooperative Governance MEC, Mzi Khumalo, to reinstate them.
The ANC/EFF alliance was supported by the ATM, who helped it get 43 of the 77 votes to remove the mayor.
Thirty-four councillors from the ACDP, IFP, FF+ and PAC had voted against the motion to remove Gray.
The same speaker, Pannall and council whip Lesego Makgatho were also voted out.
Mogale City must still pass an adjustment budget or face possible intervention from the provincial government.
At the West Rand District Municipality, the ANC and EFF alliance partnership ousted West Rand Dsitrict ex-mayor Hullet Hild, a DA councillor.
Thabiso Bovungana of the African Independent Congress (AIC) was elected to replace him during a special sitting in Randfontein.