Pretoria - The City of Tshwane’s multiparty coalition government displayed a force of unity against the EFF when it pressed criminal charges against the party’s unruly councillors who disrupted last week’s special council sitting held to table the 2022/2023 budget speech.
During the said council sitting at Tshwane House Council Chamber, some EFF councillors were filmed by their colleagues from counterpart political parties while ripping out electronic gadgets from computers of senior officials in attendance.
They were also captured on camera chanting songs and hurling insults.
Led by MMC of Corporate Shared Services, Kingsley Wakelin and Speaker Dr Murunwa Makwarela, the coalition partners went to Brooklyn police station to lay criminal charges related to intimidation, assault, death threats and malicious damage to municipal property against the EFF councillors.
On the other hand, the EFF also opened counter charges against Makwarela at Pretoria Central police station for allegedly inciting violence against the party’s councillors.
EFF regional chairperson Obakeng Ramabodu said: “In anticipation of their defeat to the superior logic of the EFF caucus in the council deliberations, the speaker connived with the DA to bring a bunch of unidentified and unelected people in the council chambers.”
He categorically denied that the EFF councillors engaged in any action of malicious damage to property.
He said the accusations against EFF councillors were part of “character assassination by the multiparty coalition”.
The party also laid criminal charges against Executive Mayor, Randall Williams and the Community Safety MMC, Grandi Theunissen.
Tshwane MMC Cllr Kingsley Wakelin speaking outside the Brooklyn police station. The multiparty coalition government pressed criminal charges against the EFF’s unruly councillors who disrupted last week’s budget @IOL @CityTshwane @EFFSouthAfrica @Our_DA #Tshwane pic.twitter.com/TmooJID22F
— Pretoria News (@pretorianews) May 24, 2022
“The actions of the Speaker of council, including the ones of the MMC of safety to call private security on members of council are unacceptable. The MMC of safety has sidelined the rules of council and that of the Constitution of South Africa (Section 58) by ordering armed security forces to assault and forcefully remove democratically elected members of council for exercising their democratic rights,” Ramabodu said.
Wakelin said: “We are used to the antics of the EFF. They play to the gallery to advance their narratives. However, this total disregard of the rule of law and disrespect for fellow human beings and colleagues will stop today…As coalition parties we will not accept the despicable behaviour of these councillors.”
He called on the Minister of Police Bheki Cele to ensure that the case was investigated with urgency and speed.
“We furthermore call on the MEC of Cogta (Lebogang Maile) who has the power to investigate and conclude on the behaviour of these councillors. The code of conduct for councillors is a living document and needs to be respected by all councillors that serve our people,” he said.
EFF councillors remove the speech from the hands of the speaker ahead of a now delayed budget speech by MMC for Finance Peter Sutton inside Tshwane House. The party earlier protested outside. @EFFSouthAfrica @CityTshwane #EFF #tshwane @IOL pic.twitter.com/PxOEGShIp8
— Pretoria News (@pretorianews) May 19, 2022
Wakelin said coalition partners would also seek legal opinion in a bid to claim for civil damages against the implicated EFF councillors.
Makwarela condemned chaos during the council sitting, saying: “We can not have one party that believes that they can stop the proceedings of council.”
“What we saw last week was not only a barbaric act; an act of sabotage, criminality and violence committed against fellow councillors,” he said.
He said the council sitting for passing the budget took place the following day via a virtual meeting.
Pretoria News