Former Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina was booted out of the Ekurhuleni council chambers on Thursday following the chaos that erupted during the sitting on Thursday.
The regional ANC leader was captured on video, showing a mob of Ekurhuleni Metro Police dragging him out forcibly from the chambers. He can only be seen with one of the cops, holding him firmly by the belt while surrounded by five of them once he was taken out.
The Multi-Party Coalition government in Ekurhuleni alleged that the ANC disrupted the business of the day.
They condemned the ANC’s alleged obstruction of crucial people’s business through threatening behaviour in council.
In a statement, The Multi-Party Coalition said, “It’s not for the first time this year, the ANC has today at numerous times massively delayed the Council’s Debate on the State of the City and the subsequent Ordinary Council Meeting through shameful antics and threatening behaviour.
“Their behaviour deteriorated to such an extent that the EMPD had to be summoned to secure the OR Tambo precinct and ensure the safety of non-ANC councillors.
“The ANC defaults to this disruptive behaviour, yet failed to make use of their full allocated speaking time during the debate today. “
The ANC’s actions are also said to have had the effect of delaying the tabling of the Draft Budget, which is crucially needed to be done to allow for public participation on it to commence critical at a time that the City is still battling its way out of ANC financial ruin in which the former ANC-led coalition left it.
Ekurhuleni REC says they will release a statement responding to the chaos that erupted.
Mzwandile Masina after threatening to assault EFF members in the Council. Power is long gone.
pic.twitter.com/Z99ZrXUsPa
— Xabiso Mtwana
(@MtwanaXabiso) March 31, 2022
The ANC Ekurhuleni Caucus said in their response to Thursday’s incident that they condemn the alleged abuse of both the Council Standing Orders and law enforcement by the Ekurhuleni Speaker of Council.
“The Council Standing Orders encourages participation by Council Members and as such, the Speaker ought to facilitate discussions and debates in an impartial manner.
“It was apparent that the questions for written reply had not reached the Speaker for proper Council engagement. When such a procedural matter was interrogated by our ANC Caucus Party Leader, the incompetent Speaker chose to suppress the enquiry and clearly ventured into suffocating the ANC Caucus,” read their statement.
The official opposition also said that they were disgusted by the unlawful act of both the Speaker of Council and his instruction to EMPD to forcefully manhandle and assault our Party Leader.
“In the midst of this unfortunate incident, we commend ANC Councillors for their resilience and their fighting spirit in defending the rights of elected Public Representative.
“We have no choice, but to fight for our participatory rights. Our Spirit is high, we will resist any form of threats and intimidation.”
