ANC disrupts Council at the Expense of Ekurhuleni Residents

by Cllr. Brandon Pretorius — DA Deputy Chief Whip in Ekurhuleni

Date: 01 April 2022

Release: Immediate

Type: Media statement

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni is shocked and concerned over the unbecoming behaviour of the ANC caucus during the Council proceedings on the 31st of March 2022.

During the reply to the Executive Mayor Ald. Tania Campbell’s State of the City Address, which was followed by an Ordinary Council Meeting, members of the ANC caucus played an obstructive role in Council proceedings and attempted to disrupt the business of Council at every opportunity.

After continuous and frustrating disruptions by ANC councillors, which eventually turned threatening towards the end of the day. Ald. Mzwandile Masina, was eventually forcibly removed from the Council chamber by the Protection Services. The ANC caucus followed.

The remainder of the meeting subsequently resumed, with a quorum and without incident, according to appropriate Council decorum. Unfortunately, the disruption meant that the City had to delay the tabling of items until later in the day. One of the key items on the agenda was the Draft Budget, which would allow for public participation — a critical step in the build-up of the actual Budget scheduled to be tabled at the end of May. The Budget is critical for governance, as it would allow the Multi-Party Coalition to address some of the financial mismanagement inherited from the previous Council term and plot a path for more efficient expenditure in the interest of service delivery.

A key pillar of governance and administration in the Metro, Council meetings are a Constitutional requirement and are vital to the functioning of local government. They provide an opportunity for political parties to debate and discuss items of importance that affect every single resident of Ekurhuleni. Moreover, Council meetings come at a cost to the City, which is ultimately paid for by taxpaying residents.

It is thereby extremely unfortunate that the ANC caucus would play such an obstructive role in the business of government. Councillors are elected representatives of the City’s residents and have a moral responsibility to serve the constituencies they represent in Council meetings.

The DA calls on parties to act in the interest of their residents to ensure the smooth running of Council in the interest of accountable and transparent governance without untoward threats or disruptive behaviour. Our communities deserve nothing less.

Cllr. Brandon Pretorius

DA Deputy Chief Whip in Ekurhuleni