The newly elected Speaker of the Western Cape Legislature, Daylin Mitchell, has come under scrutiny following accusations that he was not authorised to sign off on the reopening of the contentious B97 taxi route.
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The allegations stem from Mitchell’s tenure as MEC of Transport and Public Works, a position that was vacated for the speaker’s position.
Earlier this year, during his State of the Province Address, Premier Alan Winde announced a litany of name changes for departments in his cabinet which saw Transport and Public Works dissolved to form the Department of Mobility, with the public works aspect taken over by the Department of Human Settlements, which was renamed Infrastructure.
During the transition, Tertius Simmers, the Infrastructure MEC, was given executive authority over the Department of Transport and Public Works, lowering Mitchell’s score in the ANC’s yearly review document of the Western Cape government’s executive committee.
“MEC Mitchell has no executive authority nor budget so there is not much he can do. The department of mobility simply doesn’t exist and MEC Simmers has executive authority over transport and public works,” read the ANC’s report.
This raised subsequent questions over Mitchell’s authority to sign the proclamation to reopen the taxi route between Mbekweni and Bellville on 8 December, after the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Boland Taxi Association and the Paarl Alliance Taxi Association 18 months earlier.
Winde’s spokesperson, Regan Thaw, confirmed to the Weekend Argus that Simmers had the executive authority over Mitchell’s department.
“While the mobility department is being fully established it falls under the department of the premier,” said Thaw.
“Infrastructure (MEC) Simmers is the executive authority of the Department of Transport and Public Works,” he said.
However, speaking to the Weekend Argus, Mitchell said that he had “all the right” to act.
“The delegation of powers to have full authority over transport, in accordance with the National Road Traffic Act, was assigned to me by the premier after mobility was created,” said Mitchell.
This was confirmed by Winde, who added that nothing unlawful or sinister was afoot.
“There is a process to form new departments; i.e. budgets, staff, offices, strategies and plans. This includes the ministry of mobility. The new departments will only start on 1 April,” said Winde.
“Infrastructure (MEC) Tertuis Simmers is the executive authority of the Department of Transport and Public Works. The mobility department will have its budget when it is fully established in April 2023,” he said.
Yesterday, Simmers told the Weekend Argus that Mitchell signed off on the reopening because they “came to that agreement.”
“I didn’t sign off on it, even though I had the executive authority, Mitchell did,” said Simmers.
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Picture: Cape{town}Etc Library