Publications
The ANC in the Free State has subjected its councillors in Mangaung to a polygraph test following the election of a DA Speaker on Wednesday afternoon.
Disgruntled ANC members decided to vote with the opposition despite the party giving them marching orders.
The ruling party instructed all its members in the council to vote for provincial executive committee member Gregory Nthatisi as the preferred candidate for the mayoral position and the regional chairperson, Lawrence Mathae, as the Speaker.
However, some disgruntled ANC members in the Mangaung legislature who belong to the slates that lost the provincial conference to new chairperson Mxolisi Dukwana defied the party’s instructions and voted with the opposition in what was believed to be a revenge move.
READ: Premier Mxolisi Dukwana’s trial by fire
Their defiance angered the party provincial leadership, who reacted by calling all members to a polygraph test immediately after the results had been announced.
The disgruntled members believed the results of the provincial conference a few weeks ago, when Dukwana was elected, were rigged to favour him.
According to insiders, the disgruntled members had vowed to avenge the loss of the provincial conference by 'donating' Mangaung by voting with the opposition at the city council election.
Even though the ANC enjoys the majority in the city council, the party was shocked when the DA councillor in the area, Maryke Davies, was elected as the new Speaker on Wednesday. Davies received 53 votes from the 93 members who cast their votes. Mathae got 40 votes with three spoilt votes.
There were five councillors who could not vote as they were absent from the council.
READ: Three ANC members in FS suspended as province prepares to swear in Dukwana as new premier
The council was called for a special sitting for two days to elect the mayor and Speaker.
This after the ANC forced mayor Mxolisi Siyonzana and Speaker Stefani Lockman-Naidoo to resign following accusations that the two failed to lead the council last month.
After the announcement of the voting results, which saw Mathae losing to Davies, the party demanded answers from their members. Sensing that the position of the mayor could also be lost to opposition, the ANC summoned all their members and hastily arranged a polygraph test in a bid to find out which members voted with the opposition and lied to their leadership.
Insiders said the party realised that on Thursday, the council was voting for the mayor, and they needed to take action to save the position of the mayor.
Some of the members who spoke to City Press said it was illegal for the party to subject them to a polygraph test.
A source said:
According to them, the examination should be voluntary, and they should have their own representation if necessary.
This was not the first time that political parties resorted to polygraph tests after losing a top position in the country.
ActionSA in Tshwane subjected their councillors to a polygraph test after their DA-led coalition lost the mayorship position to Murunwa Makwarela of the ANC-EFF-Cope alliance last month.
READ: Chaos reigns at Free State ANC provincial conference
DA provincial leader in the Free State Roy Jankielsohn released a statement to congratulate Davies on her election.
He said the DA would ensure that Davies would use her position to promote transparency and accountability in the municipality and work towards improving the lives of all residents of Mangaung.
“We look forward to working with her and other council members towards achieving these goals.”
