Standing Rules and Orders of Council
Rule 98: Debate on matter of urgent public importance
Rule 98 lets a councillor ask the Speaker for a debate on a matter of urgent public importance, with the request submitted at least four hours before the meeting starts. The Speaker decides whether to grant it and has refused requests that did not comply with the rules or were already receiving attention. Debates under this rule should not contain recommendations; the exact rule text is not quoted, so other details are unclear.
Plain-English summary written with AI from how the City's minutes quote and use the rule. The official text is not published by the City.
How the minutes record it
He further stated that the response received from the Legal team focused specifically on Rule 98(3), which addressed jurisdiction.
Signed minutes, Wednesday, 18 September 2024Councillor Mashala for a debate on a matter of urgent public importance, in terms of Rule 98 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council.
Signed minutes, Wednesday, 23 October 2024The Speaker announced that she had received a request for an urgent debate on a matter of urgent public importance under Rule 98 of the Standing Rules and Orders of the Council.
Signed minutes, Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Every meeting whose minutes cite it (4)
Heard in the chamber
- 25 June 2026, 00:07:04
Councillors, we also want to congratulate Bafana Bafana in winning last night. We have also received a request of a debate on a matter of urgent public importance from Councillor Magwentshu. However, such does not comply with the Rule 98(1) of the Standing Rules and Order of Council.
- 24 June 2026, 01:24:14
Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I have had my hand up for and you allowed three other speakers to speak before me. Speaker, I had my hand up when Councillor Da Rocha and you were having an argument. I was rising in terms of Rule 98(2), where you were procedurally flawed in the way you handled the debate. You cannot close the debate. The debate was supposed to be closed by the proposer. He's supposed to have a right to reply and you did not allow that. That's what I was raising my hand for, Speaker. Thank you.