The DA warns Ekurhuleni’s mayor

The DA in the metro warned the executive mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele, ahead of the monthly council meeting, to cease being patronising and sexist towards women.

DA shadow MMC for community safety, Michéle Clarke, said she was appalled by the mayor’s description of her during last month’s meeting.

He is said to have described Clarke as “fragile” and having a “mothering attitude” to the EMPD.

The DA views these comments as sexist in the extreme and was led to ask if the mayor could spot the irony in his statement.

“At the last meeting the ANC spent a good part of its speaking time lecturing the house on women’s quotas, women’s rights and the importance of women in what was Women’s Month,” said Clarke.

“Then, minutes later, the mayor’s actions showed every woman present at the meeting the ANC’s true colours.

“Every contemptuous remark aimed at DA women should have hit at the heart of women across the floor, even the female members of the ANC.”

Gungubele also implied that Clarke should not compliment some units within the EMPD, while she was commenting that the chief of police is a weak leader.

“However, success achieved by certain units within the EMPD deserves high praise; the dedicated officers who work within those units have strong senior police leadership and if the police chief was a convincing leader, there would be more well-run units within the EMPD,” said Clarke.

“Even ruling party members on the community safety oversight committee are critical of the police chief’s arrogance and lack of leadership.

“Clr Gungubele should take a moment to listen to the opinions of the members of his very own party.

“He should stop lecturing the DA on political history and shift his focus to the severe lack of service delivery within the metro.

“His patronising manner and attempts at humour at the opposition’s expense do nothing to divert attention from the real issues.”