John Steenhuisen is a Judas Iscariot with a ‘jelly baby spine’ – Kgosi Maepa

This was in response to the DA interim leader calling Maepa's party's walkout a 'destructive strategy of collapsing meetings' and 'a delaying tactic'.

Tshwane ANC Chair, Kgosi Maepa addresses media on issues in council. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Speaking during a media briefing about the dissolution of the Tshwane City council, ANC Tshwane regional chairperson Kgosi Maepa had nothing but criticism for the Democratic Alliance and its current interim leader, John Steenhuisen, whom Maepa accused of being a ‘Judas Iscariot’ and having a “jelly baby spine” among other things.

“John Steenhuisen made unsavoury comments about [the] MEC and leaders of the ANC-led Gauteng government and about the chairperson of Tshwane on Twitter. The ANC in Tshwane knows that John Steenshuisen is a dishonest man with a jelly baby spine and without any respect for family values,” said Maepa as he read out a statement prepared by his caucus.

The DA is 100% committed to leading a government in #TshwaneCouncil.

The destructive strategy of the ANC and EFF of collapsing meetings is a delaying tactic to buy these two parties time to broker a power-sharing deal at the expense of service delivery.https://t.co/67lDDp7VyD

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) March 4, 2020

“We mandated our Mayoral candidate Randall Williams to seek solutions with the ANC & EFF in the city, our Federal leadership is committed to do the same with both parties nationally. Unfortunately this has, to date, been met with lack of interest from their side." – @jsteenhuisen

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) March 4, 2020

Maepa went on to highlight Steenhuisen’s past leadership experience before bringing up allegations that have previously been levelled against him.

Among those allegations are the allegations that he broke up the marriage of a fellow DA member. Maepa says that this modus operandi of “cheating, mistrust, and divorce” gives Steenhuisen no authority to call for Stevens Mokgalapa to be held accountable for his alleged affair with Shiela Sinkubukwe.

Maepa went on to advise Steenhuisen to complete his basic education studies before casting aspersions on Gauteng Premier David Makura.

Moving on from Steenhuisen to his party, Maepa called the success of the DA-led coalition into question before hailing his own party’s opposition strategy.

“The DA is not fit for purpose. They are unfit and unproper (sic).

“It can be said that the ANC caucus has been doing a magnanimous and stupendous job by using its well-thought-out opposition strategy and tactics to expose corruption, malfeasance and maladministration of the DA coalition as government in Tshwane. We now all know that the DA is a corrupt party.”

He went on to vow that the ANC had no plans of ever serving as the official opposition in Tshwane again and went on to further hint throughout the briefing that he was confident of their success in the coming municipal elections.

According to Maepa, public knowledge of the GladAfrica saga, of Mokgalapa’s extra-curricular activities and of what they call the unlawful appointment of Abel Tau as Tshwane mayor are all the work of the ANC Tshwane caucus as they sought to expose the missteps of the DA.

Speaking on behalf of his caucus, Maepa welcomed Makhura’s decision to dissolve the city council and stated that they were eagerly awaiting the appointment of an administrator to run the municipality for 90 days. He promised that his party would do everything in their power to cooperate with the administrator.

“Our view is that the voter must be respected and be allowed to decide to future of Tshwane. The voter, not people in council.”

Maepa promised that moving forward, his caucus would work to help solve issues such as the demands for clean water in Hammanskraal, the reconnection of water supply in the inner city and the intermittent electricity supply due to constant power cuts in areas such as Olivenhoutbosch, Soshanguve and Mamelodi.

Watch the full address below: