A war of words has erupted between the councillors of the ANC, DA, and National Freedom Party (NFP) in the Zululand District Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal over a botched press conference on Monday.
The councillors of the three parties accused the bodyguards of the IFP mayor of the district municipality, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, of stopping their press conference and ejecting them from the municipal property.
According to Councillor Siphamandla Ntombela of the NFP in the district municipality, the press conference on Wednesday was to be addressed by him and Swelakhe Shelembe from the DA.
They wanted to address the media regarding the recent decision by the district municipality to strip all opposition councillors of their bodyguards. This is even though their lives are equally in danger as those of the IFP who still have them.
NEWS: Bodyguards of Zululand District Mayor, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, allegedly stormed a media briefing that was held by NFP, DA and ANC Councillors in Ulundi on Wednesday. They allegedly swore at them and demanded that the media briefing about personal security be stopped. @IOL pic.twitter.com/3pHBEgFx4P
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 5, 2023
“Something sad has just happened here (Ulundi), while we were holding a press conference with the SABC and 1KZNTV, armed bodyguards of Thulasizwe stormed it.
“It was me from the NFP, from the ANC, it was Mxoli, Khaya (Khumalo) and Shelembe.
“They walked in and said f**ck off, switch the cameras off, your sh***t and that is how the media briefing was ended,” Ntombela told IOL after the incident.
However, the municipality denied that it stopped a press conference of councillors of opposition parties and unleashed armed bodyguards to eject them from the premises.
.
UPDATE: The IFP-led Zululand District Municipality has denied that it stopped a press conference of councillors of opposition parties and unleashed armed bodyguards to eject them from the premises. The municipality anchored in Ulundi said the Councillors of the ANC, NFP and DA
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 5, 2023
The municipality anchored in Ulundi said the Councillors of the ANC, NFP, and DA had no permission to use the boardroom, which was booked for another meeting, hence, they were politely escorted out by the bodyguards, and no one swore at them.
“Zululand District Municipality has noted false media reports circulating on social media, about the banning of councillors from holding a media briefing at the municipality’s offices.
“The Municipality can confirm that the said councillors did not have permission to use the Municipal Boardroom for their press conference today.
“The municipal security personnel escorted them out since the boardroom had been booked for another meeting.
“At no point did the Mayor’s bodyguards enter the boardroom or swear at the councillors,” the municipality said in its rebuttal to Ntombela’s claims.
IOL Politics