Phikwe council convened illegal meeting

The legality of the last full council meeting of Selebi Phikwe Town Council is still questioned by the public. According to Standing Order No. 21(a) Members of the Council and the public shall be given at least 21 days’ notice of all such scheduled Council meetings, and the agenda of such meetings shall be circulated so as to reach all the Council members at least seven days before the ordinary meetings.

21(b) states that written notice and the agenda for the Council meetings shall be published and displayed on a notice board of the Administration Block of the Council 14 days prior to the scheduled meetings.Although the Mayor, Councillor Amogelang Mojuta informed councillors about the Standing Orders, councillors decided to proceed without tabling a motion that’d set aside the concerned Standing Order in order to proceed. This stunned the public which expected the civic leaders to follow the normal procedure of tabling such a motion.

The Mayor just apologised something the public viewed as insufficient. A senior council officer who requested that he should not be named faulted the Mayor for just apologising. ‘He was not supposed to apologise only. A motion could have been tabled to ask the council to put aside the standing orders. SPTC councillors never cease to amaze me” said the disappointed officer.

A senior attorney who did not want to be named said the situation was unfortunate. He challenged councillors to familiarise themselves with the standing orders. His sentiments were shared by veteran politician Dimpho Moruti, who urged all stakeholders to intensify political education so that electorate will vote for responsible cadres. He blamed the voters for not taking their votes seriously. The Mayor had earlier informed the council that since the 14 days elapsed after Christmas they found it fit to hold the full council earlier.

He told the house that they felt that to have a first full council this year would not be good. Both the leader of Opposition in Council who is also Botshabelo Central councillor Molefe Molatlhegi and Thakadiawa councillor Evelyn Kgodumo concurred with him. When contacted for comment he said that the concurrence of the two civic leaders was enough to legalise the full council meeting.