Cape Town– Chaos erupted in the first council meeting since the City of Cape Town council was constituted last week when an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor was dragged during the council meeting.
EFF’s Banzi Dambuza tussled with law enforcement officers during the council meeting when they were called in to remove the party’s chief whip.
This, after several councillors harshly criticised Speaker Felicity Purchase over the counting of votes for the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
The IDP is legally required to be drafted every five years and provides a strategic framework to deliver on the City’s objectives.
Councillors were voting on the adoption of the City’s five-year IDP, when law enforcement officers were called in to intervene.
Tensions were high during a debate on the adoption of the IDP with concerns raised about Purchase abruptly cutting off councillors, and not correctly recording the votes on the matter.
Several councillors requested the count on votes, as this was not read out by Purchase, with Purchase saying it would be made available in the minutes of the meeting. She speedily attempted to move on to the next item on the agenda.
EFF councillors said they were not asked for their vote with votes erroneously placed, when they did not vote.
Purchase threatened to remove certain councillors by calling in law enforcement with councillors responding, “Call them”.
Purchase adjourned the council and called a meeting with party leaders and chief whips, to bring calm to the proceedings.
While Dambuza was at the centre of the drama, as chief whip he was released to join the meeting that occurred while the council sitting was adjourned.
What was suppose to be a 15-minute adjournment lasted longer than expected before the council meeting resumed, in which Purchase and the parties’ leaders each took accountability for the chaos that ensued.
“Councillors we’ve agreed in our meeting now between the leaders and the whips that there has been a misunderstanding in terms of the way the previous vote was done…”
As they were about to move on, another councillor, Anele Gabuza spoke up stating, “before you proceed can you please apologise to the members that are here”.
Purchase, in response to Gabuza’s remark’s said: “So councillor, when I moved in and took my seat – for those that weren’t paying attention – I apologised. Also for the time we took to adjourn the meeting.
“I am sorry for wasting your time.”