DA FTLM wants Ethics Committee to sanction ANC Councillors
BURGERSFORT
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) has announced that it will formally write to the FTLM Council Speaker, to request that all ANC councillors who voted in favour of unlawful resolutions be referred to the Ethics Committee for investigation and possible sanction.
According to the party, the dispute centres on the ANC caucus’s attempts to suspend and terminate the contract of the Municipal Manager, Mogaramedi Joel Makgata.
The Limpopo High Court has recently ruled twice in favour of Makgata, declaring the suspension and termination unlawful and invalid.
On 3 June 2025, the Limpopo High Court ruled that the suspension of the municipal manager, Mogaramedi Joel Makgata, had lapsed as far back as January 2025, and accordingly ordered that he may return to work.
The ANC caucus convened a council meeting in an attempt to appeal the judgment. The municipal manager again approached the Limpopo High Court and, on 8 July 2025, obtained a second urgent order.
The court declared both the meeting and the termination unlawful and invalid based on the principle of legality.
The ANC caucus then decided on a legal provision that an application for leave to appeal suspends the operation of the court order, by calling an executive meeting to appoint a replacement for the municipal manager.
This occurred even though the municipal had now twice been vindicated by the courts.
On 30 July 2025, Makgata secured a third court victory, this time under Section 18(3) of the Superior Courts Act.
Marie Helm, DA Political Head in Olifants Constituency, said despite the court ruling, the ANC caucus has persisted in its efforts to undermine the municipal manager’s authority.
“The DA in Fetakgomo-Tubatse has consistently warned the ANC caucus to adhere to the prescripts of the Local Government, Municipal Structures Act, the Municipal Systems Act, and the Standing Rules of Order of Council. These warnings were regrettably ignored. The law is not optional. The DA will continue to defend constitutional governance and accountability, especially when others seek to subvert it for political expediency,” she said.
Helm indicated that the Code of Conduct for Councillors clearly prohibits councillors from voting for any unlawful resolution.
“When senior counsel for the municipality admitted that these resolutions were unlawful, it became irrefutable that the ANC councillors who supported them were in breach of this Code. The DA believes that the ANC councillors’ conduct is a clear breach of the Code of Conduct and that they should be held accountable,” she said.
Helm insisted that the party is committed to defending constitutional governance and accountability in the municipality.
“Residents of Fetakgomo-Tubatse deserve administrative stability within the municipality which will improve service delivery and not a quarrelsome council who opposes every court judgement with taxpayers’ money. The DA’s actions are aimed at ensuring that the municipality is run in a transparent and accountable manner,” she said.
The DA will formally write to the Speaker of Council to request that the ANC councillors be referred to the Ethics Committee. The committee will then investigate the matter and determine whether the councillors have breached the Code of Conduct. If found guilty, the councillors could face sanctions, including possible removal from office.
