BY: SIYABONGA SITHOLE
Johannesburg - The DA has confirmed that the City of Johannesburg’s Council Speaker Vasco da Gama has opened a case of intimidation and assault against members of the EFF during a council meeting.
Da Gama’s spokesperson Angela Barnes confirmed that the speaker had laid criminal charges of assault and intimidation against the EFF at the Hillbrow police station following the incident last Thursday.
"The case of assault and intimidation was opened by council speaker with the Hillbrow police. The matter is currently in the hands of the police who will have to investigate the matter," Barnes said.
This is after a scuffle broke out during a city council sitting last Wednesday where some of the members from the party were manhandled by members of the EFF.
According to the speaker, the incident of violence happened after a clash over points of order that were raised by the EFF which in turn caused disruptive behavior and resulted in the chaotic scenes that dominated the meeting.
"It is appalling that a female councillor was beaten up by their male EFF counterparts a day after Women's Day. Actions speak louder than words and their actions expose them as selfish hypocrites," Da Gama said following the incident.
Joburg mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse has condemned the violent behaviour saying the incident dented the 7th Extra Ordinary council meeting which sat to decide on city administration and management appointments.
"On behalf of the multiparty government, I condemn in the harshest terms, the violence incited by the EFF councillor who attempted to forcibly remove the speaker of the council during the 7th Extra-ordinary council meeting that sat to make decisions about the appointment of council and city administration senior managers, including the city manager, "Phalatse said.
Speaking to this newspaper, leader of the EFF council, Sepetlele Raseruthe said the DA would be exercising their constitutional right by opening a case against them.
"We are not shaken and we are not scared of the case that has been opened against us. We were not there to fight but we were seeking to speak because our microphones were switched off. We then approached the speaker and tried to grab the microphone as our microphones were switched off. When they refused to allow us to speak we tried to grab the microphone which resulted in the scuffle, "Raseruthe said.
EFF spokesperson Sepetlele Raseruthe said the DA was exercising its constitutional right by opening a case against them.
"We are not shaken and we are not scared of the case that has been opened against us. We were not there to fight but we were seeking to speak because our microphones were switched off. We then approached the speaker and tried to grab the microphone as our microphones were switched off. When they refused to allow us to speak we tried to grab the microphone which resulted in the scuffle," Raseruthe said.
The Star