THIRTEEN DA councillors in the Kouga municipality walked out of a special council meeting yesterday after speaker Magdalene Dlomo refused to entertain a point of privilege by party leader Chimpie Cawood.
The special meeting held in Jeffreys Bay was meant to discuss the adjustments budget of 2015-16, but mayor Daphne Kettledas was interrupted by Cawood just as she started tabling the item. It was crucial for the Kouga council to table the adjusted budget and approve it before February 29.
But the meeting was adjourned after the walkout by the opposition.
Two ANC councillors were also not present at the meeting which resulted in the council not having a quorum.
This budget was for councillors to approve any expenditure since July, a requirement of the Municipal Finance Management Act. Municipal manager Sydney Fadi said some of the money not spent was R5.5-million that was budgeted to build a new community hall in KwaNomzamo.
Kettledas was meant to tell the meeting that the community hall would not be built in this financial year.
Fadi said they would reconvene the meeting today should they meet the quorum.
“It is a compliance issue. If we don’t meet tomorrow we will only be left with Monday to comply with the law,” he said.
“The budget needs approval.”
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