The battle for Tshwane continues, literally, with a council scuffle

A scuffle broke out during a special council sitting of the City of Tshwane on Thursday when an executive in the office of the speaker, Tiyiselani Babane, clashed with ANC councillors.

The much-anticipated sitting at Tshwane House got off to a bumpy start, with councillors arguing over the rules and orders of the sitting, especially in terms of who decided the order of the items on the agenda.

The ANC questioned why Babane was present when he wasn’t a council member.

ANC regional chairperson Dr Kgosi Maepa said Babane went to ANC councillors and provoked them and as a result, a scuffle broke out.

Babane was escorted out of the council chambers by security as a result of the clash.

The initial agenda was to pass motions of no confidence against speaker Katlego Mathebe, Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa, acting speaker Zweli Khumalo and chair of chairs Gert Pretorius.

Maepa took to Twitter to explain what was happening during the council sitting.

He described the DA as being “desperate to hold on to power”.

“The DA speaker’s office and its head of department have just deployed 80 bouncers to our council meeting to cause mayhem and disrupt council. The DA is becoming increasingly desperate to hold on to power at all costs. We have called a one-hour caucus,” he said.

Maepa alleged that the ANC was told the speaker’s office and the DA organised the bouncers.

“They got security outside council to come inside the council sitting. We have metro police that have an obligation through our bylaws to look after the safety and security of council. They have undermined that,” Maepa said.

Addressing the media, Maepa said the ANC would embark on a new growth path while working with others to fix the “mess of the DA”.

Maepa gloated about the ANC’s support, saying that “with the help of the EFF and PAC, we already have a majority of councillors”.

There are 214 councillors in council. For a majority, the ANC would need 107 plus one to have the majority.

“The speaker cannot stop democracy,” he added

After the one-hour caucus, EFF leader Moafrika Mabogoane raised a point of order, saying the petitioners of the motions (the ANC and the EFF) should have a say on the order of how their motions would be discussed.

Mathebe dismissed Mabogoane’s point of order.

EFF councillors attempted to interject as Mathebe made her ruling, which was rejected by the majority of the members in the council.

Mabogoane persuaded Mathebe to “adhere to Section 29 of the Municipal Structures Act” by allowing those who asked her to call a meeting to have a say on the agenda.

“You are conflicted as far as these motions are concerned,” he argued.

EFF councillor Obakeng Ramabodu walked up to Mathebe to hand her the council’s rules and orders booklet. In response, Mathebe asked Ramabodu to leave the council.

ANC and EFF councillors broke into song.

In retaliation, Mathebe told councillors that she would not proceed with the meeting until Ramabodu was removed.

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