City of Cape Town Speaker, Alderman Felicity Purchase, has received a notice of a motion of no confidence against her, submitted by a multi-party caucus led by the ANC.
The motion, supported by the EFF, GOOD Party, National Coloured Congress (NCC), Patriotic Alliance (PA), and Al Jama-ah, raises concerns over her handling of governance, accountability, and transparency in the City.
The motion is set to be tabled at the upcoming council meeting on 27 March 2025.
In a statement, the multi-party caucus highlighted issues related to council processes said there should have been more urgency and impartial intervention regarding the allegations of housing tender fraud involving Mayoral Committee Members JP Smith and Grant Twigg.
“The allegations of housing tender fraud involving JP Smith and the improper cancellation of solid waste contracts under Grant Twigg’s watch required urgent and impartial intervention. However, instead of ensuring due process and accountability, the Speaker has presided over a Council that protects certain individuals from scrutiny while undermining the principles of fairness and justice,” they noted.
“Cllr Purchase has continuously demonstrated bias in her rulings, suppressing legitimate questions and debates meant to hold the executive to account. This has eroded confidence in her ability to perform her duties independently and fairly. The Speaker’s role is to uphold democratic principles within Council, not to shield individuals from facing the consequences of their actions.”
Al Jama-ah, one of the supporting parties, added that council members have been restricted from speaking openly, with microphones allegedly muted during meetings.
“As per the Speaker, it is within her right to use discretion regarding whether meetings are held online or in person. However, we agree that there are far too many instances where we are deprived of speaking openly on certain matters,” the party noted.
In response, Purchase told VOC News:
“The Office of the Speaker is aware of a motion submitted by the ANC in the above-mentioned regard and will follow due process as outlined in the requirements dealing with motions as contained under Rule 18 of the Rules of Order.”
VOC News
Photo: EFFWesternCape_/X
