Cape Town council Speaker Felicity Purchase has survived a motion of no confidence, fending off a challenge from opposition parties following heightened tensions in council.

The motion, tabled by the African National Congress (ANC), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and the GOOD Party, came after EFF councillor Banzi Dambuza was assaulted and strangled during the previous sitting.

GOOD councillor Jonathan Cupido opened the debate with a blistering critique of Purchase, saying: “It sends a message to this council and to the residents of Cape Town that she believes herself above the very rules and laws that govern us. When the Speaker places herself above the law, she places this entire institution in disrepute.”

Cupido accused her of tolerating violence, allowing racial insults, excusing councillors from her own party, and punishing only opposition members.

“If the Speaker shows so little concern for the lives and safety of councillors in the chambers, what hope do our residents have that their lives and safety will ever be valued?” he asked.

Cupido also clarified procedural points, noting that Dambuza had not formally proposed the motion and that it was already on the agenda under the Speaker’s prerogative.

He confirmed that councillors would vote by party rather than through a secret ballot, following legal advice.

DA councillor Mzwakhe Nqavashe defended Purchase, stressing the Speaker’s legally defined duties.

“The word ‘must’ has a very specific and powerful meaning. It is not just ordinary; it has a binding legal effect,” he said.

He described the allegations of bias and selective discipline as “deliberate distortions of the Speaker’s duty to uphold order” and added: “To choose the Speaker of lacking impartiality for disciplining disorder is to confuse firmness with favouritism.”

Nqavashe dismissed the motion as a “political witch-hunt” and insisted Purchase had acted within her authority, noting: “Every ruling, every decision made, has been in accordance with the law and procedure of this institution.”

EFF councillor Ntsikelelo Tyandela expressed his frustration. “Council Dambuza was choked, almost died because of Felicity. We know that she is doing this to us today; tomorrow it is going to be another black person.”

He called on his colleagues to vote in favour of the motion, accusing the DA of defending the Speaker at the expense of safety and fairness.

ANC chairperson Ndithini Thyido echoed concerns about councillor safety and the impartiality of council procedures, urging greater accountability for Speaker decisions.

When the vote was held, the motion was decisively defeated: 125 councillors (76%) voted against, 37 (23%) voted in favour, and two abstained. 

Purchase called the attempt “baseless, politically motivated, and a distraction from Council’s core mandate of governance and service delivery”.

She emphasised her commitment to order, saying: “My duty as Speaker is to apply those rules firmly, fairly, and consistently, without fear or favour, and I will continue to do so.”

On councillor removals, she stressed: “The safety of councillors and the uninterrupted continuation of Council business will always take priority.”

Purchase concluded that the motion “lacked substance” and reaffirmed her focus on governance and service delivery.

mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za 

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