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“The ANC in Joburg has nothing to offer but chaos and violence,” the Democratic Alliance said following a disruption of the Johannesburg council meeting today by members of the ANC.
A group called the Johannesburg Social Movement marched through the CBD early this afternoon with placards reading “Herman Mashaba dictator”, “Mashaba serves the interest of whites”, “Mashaba is a joke” and “#8000 jobs”.
Some members of the Johannesburg Social Movement marching in the CBD earlier protesting Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba #JoburgCouncil pic.twitter.com/j8USbxlLnI
— City Press Online (@City_Press) February 23, 2017
Protesters stormed the council chambers where a city council sitting was proceeding and vandalised the building and littered it with rubbish.
Protesters invade city of Joburg Council...?????? #CojCouncil, vid by @GuguZwane_ pic.twitter.com/Wix1buc0u6
— TK (@Komape_) February 23, 2017
The group said the march was to protest against Mashaba’s decision to scrap the Jozi@work programme and to hand over a memorandum.
The Jozi@Work programme is a job creation programme that the City of Joburg launched in September 2014. It aims to create opportunities for communities in the delivery of municipal services in their own neighbourhoods.
The council meeting sat to table its adjustment budget, which the DA said the ANC is opposed to.
#JoburgCouncil @HermanMashaba speech spoke to an adjustment budget for Johannesburg’s forgotten people ^GZ
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) February 23, 2017
The DA also accused the opposition party of being behind the protest and said the incident was “an assault on our democracy”.
Press Statement by Executive Mayor, @HermanMashaba:
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) February 23, 2017
ANC behind violence at Joburg Council earlier today
READ MORE: pic.twitter.com/ZAVgybgcjB
Today’s disruption of #JoburgCouncil by ANC & affiliates is nothing less than undemocratic thuggery https://t.co/KxNYHgIEBr
— DA Gauteng (@DA_GPL) February 23, 2017
“The DA-led government of mayor Herman Mashaba will not be deterred and will continue to press forward in passing the adjustment budget,” the DA said.
City Mayor Herman Mashaba said he planned to lay charges against the movement for the damage they caused.
Meanwhile, the DA-led administrations in Nelson Mandela Bay, Tshwane and Joburg all passed their first mid-financial-year adjustment budgets. The DA won power in these metros in last year’s local elections.
The DA congratulated their compatriots for gaining “momentum in turning around the rot left by the ANC.”
