Rustenburg - ActionSA has terminated the membership of its two councillors in Tshwane for allegedly voting with the ANC, EFF coalition to install Cope’s Murunwa Makwarela as mayor.
One of the councillors is also accused of informing the EFF about the location of where the polygraph screening took place. This was the exercise wherein the party sought to determine councillors who had voted with the ANC-EFF coalition.
ActionSA’s national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the decision to fire the two followed the party's investigation into its councillors’ conduct in Tshwane.
"The decision to terminate the membership of Councillors Mhlana and Baloyi arises directly from the investigation into councillors who are believed to have voted for former councillor Makwarela on 28 February 2023.
"The investigation into the councillors has been ongoing for weeks and has come to the conclusion that the councillors voted for Makwarela on 28 February and for the ATM candidate for Speaker, councillor Ndzwanana, on 13 March.
“It is further believed that Baloyi provided the location of the polygraph tests of 6 March to the EFF and was at least partially responsible for the disruption that occurred on that day," he said.
"The investigation did not rely solely upon polygraph tests. Having said this, both councillors failed on two separate occasions on both the question of voting against the coalition and being offered rewards for doing so. The investigations concluded that the polygraph test results are corroborated sufficiently by additional evidence for ActionSA to take these steps."
He said ActionSA was satisfied that the individuals concerned were not casting votes of conscience.
"The interim constitution of ActionSA has a prescribed process to be followed for a councillor to cast such a vote, and this process was not followed. It is further worth noting that the councillors attended caucus meetings and resolved to support the relevant coalition candidate on both 6 and 13 March 2023.
"ActionSA is unequivocal in the steps that we take to ensure that our commitment to the residents of Tshwane, and our multi-party coalition, to keep the ANC out of office is adhered to. No councillor in ActionSA will be allowed to betray the mandate on which they were elected to serve their residents," he said.
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