Durban - Political parties in KwaDukuza Municipality are at each other’s throats following the collapse of the council meeting meant to unseat the mayor of the municipality.
The meeting degenerated into a shouting match with clashes between councillors last Thursday.
The ANC has accused the opposition parties that include ActionSA, Independent Alliance (IA) and the IFP, of having armed supporters in the council meeting.
ActionSA was meant to table a motion of no confidence against the mayor, deputy mayor and the speaker calling for them at the meeting.
However, the motion was not tabled as the meeting collapsed. The meeting descended into chaos while the council was discussing another matter.
In a statement, DA KwaDukuza councillor Tammy Colley expressed disappointment on how the meeting had collapsed.
“The meeting degenerated into chaos after the council speaker, Councillor Dolly Govender, attempted to gerrymander the results of a vote over sending an official from KwaDukuza Municipality to Mandeni Municipality, which would be paid for by ratepayers in KwaDukuza.
“A verbal shouting match between the IA and ANC then ensued, resulting in the speaker having the IA councillor ejected. A violent altercation then broke out.
“This resulted in the mayor, Lindi Nhaca, speaker and ANC councillors leaving the building and collapsing the meeting.
“On the motion of no confidence, the DA remains committed to securing a coalition agreement that will bring a new government to KwaDukuza. Having a motion of no confidence without an agreement is reckless and will lead to the municipality being placed under administration,” she said.
Michael Beaumont, ActionSA national chairperson, accused the ANC of deliberately collapsing the meeting.
He claimed that the ANC in KwaDukuza provoked a physical altercation in sitting of council to deliberately collapse the meeting in an attempt to “avoid the voting on our motions of no confidence in the executive mayor, deputy mayor, speaker of council and chief whip.
“In any event, ActionSA will be ready to submit fresh motions of no confidence. The ANC cannot evade accountability and the will of the people forever.
“Appreciating this violent conduct by the ANC, ActionSA, in the next sitting of council, will move a motion for the vote of no confidence to happen by secret ballot,” he said.
But the ANC hit back and accused the opposition of violent and threatening conduct towards its councillors and even towards municipal staff.
It claimed some of the opposition party supporters were armed with dangerous weapons such as bush knives, pangas and guns. They said the weapons were confiscated by law-enforcement officers.
“During the proceedings of the meeting, these crowds were rowdy and chanted the names of their representatives, which is a practice that is not in line with council decorum,” said the party’s provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo in a statement.
“The ANC is deeply concerned that the DA opted to mislead the public, alleging that the meeting collapsed because the mayor and ANC left the meeting. The ANC also rejects the defamatory allegations made by the national chairperson of ActionSA, in attributing the chaos to members of the ANC,” he said.