Nikelo was removed following a motion of no confidence against him this week. Earlier in August, Nikelo had instructed the council Speaker not to convene any council sittings.
The move rattled the opposition as the instruction allegedly came directly from the ANC in the region. DA’s caucus whip Maryke Davies says Nikelo’s actions compromised the credibility and integrity of the Mangaung Metro. “This resulted in the whip writing a letter to the council Speaker on the 5th of August on instruction of the ANC interim regional committee, stating that all council sittings must immediately be suspended until their internal disciplinary processes are finalised. So what the council whip did, he conflated state and party. And that is where we felt the need to bring the motion of no confidence in the council whip.