Since a DA councillor’s outburst in council on Wednesday, claiming racism within the party, the DA has issued a statement, accusing the speaker of council, Patricia Khumalo, and ANC chief whip, Robert Mashego, of colluding with Shilabe to ensure his defection from the DA was a dramatic scene.
“The DA in Ekurhuleni will call for the speaker and chief whip of the city to resign their positions as leadership of the council. Failing this, we will report their conduct to the rules and ethics committees,” the statement read.
It continued to state that the move to allow Shilabe to address the council was “obviously orchestrated” by the speaker after she had already announced that the DA had taken up all of its time.
According to the DA the programming committee, of which Mashego is chairman, had agreed in its meeting last week Tuesday that parties did not have to submit speakers lists as times for each party had already been allocated.
Despite this, the speaker reiterated that the DA had not submitted a list of speakers after it was agreed upon in a multiparty held prior to the state of the city address.
The statement continued to say that Khumalo ignored several points of order as the chamber descended into chaos. During the commotion Mashego admitted to the DA’s chief whip, Du Plessis, that Khumalo was out of order and agreed that Shilabe should have been removed from the chamber. However, Mashego took no steps to make that happen, as was his duty. Shortly after members of the DA were seen leaving the council chambers while Shilabe continued to conclude his statement.
The ANC has since welcomed Shilabe’s statement to return to the party.
“Reacting to the latest turn of events, ANC regional chairman in Ekurhuleni, Moses Makwakwa, said the ANC was looking forward to receive Shilabe into the movement since it believed he had a major role to play in taking the country forward.
This follows defections by fellow DA councillors, Stephen Mokoena and Veli Mosehla, who also parted ways with the DA last month.
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Accusations of racism flew among members of the DA in Ekurhuleni at the mayor’s state of the city address in Germiston on Wednesday.
It went so far that a DA proportional councillor expressed a desire to return to the ANC, a sentiment which was received with a standing ovation from ANC members.
During a debate session at the state of the city address, DA PR councillor Hendrick Shilabe accused a fellow party member of racism.
DA chief whip, Clr André du Plessis, made an attempt to calm Shilabe down and prevent him from continuing with his accusations but Shilabe seemed determined to carry on speaking.
The speaker of council, Patricia Khumalo, advised Du Plessis to let Shilabe continue speaking. She told him she could not anticipate members’ utterances during such a debate and it was not her duty to instil order in parties.
DA members, including Du Plessis, then walked out of the room while Shilabe continued to express his unhappiness with the DA because of the racism he
experienced.
He said racial slurs were made against black and coloured members of the party and said he could no longer be part of a party that “disrespects and dehumanises black people”.
Shilabe also expressed a desire to return to the ANC, a sentiment which was received with a standing ovation from ANC members.
