Call for motion of no-confidence against Felicity Purchase

The GOOD Party, backed by the ANC and Africa Restoration Alliance (ARA), are challenging Cape Town Speaker Felicity Purchase's insistence on a virtual Council meeting, and have called for a motion of no-confidence against her, while she said she won’t be bullied.

The call for Purchase to step aside once again surfaced after EFF caucus leader, Mzubani Dambuza, was choked by a security officer at the City Chambers in July. 

Jonathan Cupido, GOOD Party councillor, said a coalition had been formed in their plight against Purchase and how she ran her “house", after Thursday Council meetings were changed to virtual platforms instead of in-person.

“The GOOD Party, joined by the ANC and ARA, will formally respond to Cape Town Speaker Felicity Purchase’s attempt to avoid accountability by insisting that Thursday’s Council meeting remain on a virtual platform,” he said.

“The Speaker has once again demonstrated her abuse of office by unilaterally deciding to convene an online sitting. This decision is inconsistent with the constitutional principles that govern democratic processes and directly undermines transparency, accessibility, and the fairness of the debate.

“The motion (of no confidence) requires a secret ballot, which cannot credibly or lawfully be conducted on an online platform," he said.

“Our attorneys have responded to the Speaker’s letter, and we continue to take legal advice on whether to approach the court before or after the Council meeting.

“The Speaker’s ongoing self-serving decisions regarding the handling of the motion against her, a matter that directly concerns her own position, confirm the very basis of the motion - she is unable to separate her private and party interests from her public duties."

Purchase said the meeting would not change and that she would not be bullied.

“Arrangements to hold the meeting virtually via Teams had already been in place following the last Council meeting (which was held in-person), and adverts were also accordingly sent out at the time, indicating that the August Council meeting would be a virtual meeting.

“The meeting will therefore remain virtual as per the abovementioned reasons as per the Rules of Order which provide for this.

“Neither I, nor my Office will be bullied into bending to the will of councillors who continuously make spurious allegations to the public online or via social media."

Previously, GOOD Party’s caucus leader in the City, Roscoe Palm, called for a full investigation into Purchase’s handling of the “choke hold” matter.

Dambuza said: “We have addressed the office of the commissioner, Thembisile Patekile and national SAPS and there is an element of not taking interest into this case. The City and the Speaker and safety and security directorate, under the DA led government, are trying to protect the person who tried to kill me, there is no wheel for justice."

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