Joburg council finally elects new chief whip amid withdrawal, legal threats

ANC councillor Khazamula Chauke has been elected City of Johannesburg's council chief whip unopposed after the DA's Nicole Rahn withdrew from the race amid threats of legal action.

At a chaotic meeting that lasted late into Tuesday night, while preparations were under way for the election, DA councillor Gerhard Niemand said that during the previous attempt to elect a chief whip last Thursday, he had warned Speaker Margaret Arnolds that she was outside the election processes as set out in the Municipal Structures Act.

Niemand said as a result, the DA would be withdrawing from the election process as the party deemed it to be illegal, and it reserved its rights.

ANC Ward 105 councillor Tefo Raphadu demanded that the DA be referred to the council's ethics committee for collapsing the meeting. Rahn later rose and explained that the DA was not leaving the council chambers.

"We are not collapsing the meeting so that there is no quorum. However, I am withdrawing as a candidate in light of what Councillor Niemand has said," she explained.

Chauke replaced fellow ANC Councillor Sithembiso Zungu, who was appointed Group Corporate and Shared Services MMC in July by Mayor Dada Morero.

DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku demanded that Raphadu withdraw the claim that the party was collapsing the meeting.

According to Kayser-Echeozonjoku, the DA was withdrawing from the process based on the legal opinion it had sought.

Raphadu later unconditionally withdrew his claim that the DA was collapsing the sitting.

In her defence against allegations of flouting the election processes, Arnolds said on Thursday, she consulted to ensure she was doing the right thing.

"I was given the confidence that I am doing the right thing. For whatever reason you are withdrawing, it is noted. I consulted with the IEC (Electoral Commission of SA), (the city's) legal (department), to understand whether I am doing the right thing because I am very scared, I don't like courts," Arnolds explained.

She insisted that she had the conviction that she had done the right thing.

Chauke will be sworn in on Friday, and last week, he had managed 96 votes while Rahn received 71, and ActionSA Councillor Joyce Ntombela got 37, and a further 41 were spoilt ballots.

ActionSA did not nominate a candidate last night despite earlier indicating its intention to do so.

loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za