Communications Manager Siyabonga Maphalala officially responded to allegations that a member of council was ordered to leave a council meeting after he was forcefully removed by bodyguards.
Members of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were forced out of a full council meeting by bodyguards on Thursday, June 29, at Alfred Duma Local Municipality, held in the Town Hall.
Read more: Watch: Opposition party members forced out of full council meeting by bodyguards in Ladysmith
Also read: Update: Opposition parties outraged as Speaker uses armed guards to evict IFP councillor
Also read: DA STATEMENT RE REMOVAL OF COUNCILLORS FROM A MEETING OF THE ALFRED DUMA COUNCIL
See the full official response below:
There was an ordinary Council meeting convened in terms of the Bylaw on Standing Orders for Council and its Committees.
The Speaker of Council ordered only Cllr Qwabe to leave the Council meeting because he did not adhere to the rules and displayed unacceptable conduct in his behaviour. He was ordered to leave because he was using offensive words directed to the Speaker of Council.
Cllr Qwabe, in his arguments and submissions directed to the Speaker, was disruptive and did not apply procedural integrity on his proposal that an item be added for discussion. Normally, all matters discussed by Council are Items which serve in various Portfolio Committees under normal circumstances.
Items of an urgent nature may be placed on the Council Agenda by the Municipal Manager and any member of Council with the prior consent of the Speaker or Chairperson. Prior to adoption, Councillors must be afforded reasonable time to peruse and consider such a report or official documents submitted to the Council.
In this Council meeting, Cllr Qwabe did not follow that simple procedure. Instead he wanted the matter to be discussed without authentic documentation/report to that degree in his arguments.
The municipality has security personnel employed to protect Council and Municipal property and they also safeguard Council Assets, including the Protection of Political Office Bearers.
On this occasion, no firearm was used or withdrawn in restoring order at the Council Meeting. Procedural honesty was applied in removing Cllr Qwabe from the Council meeting, guided by legislative prescripts, which the Council Speaker applied.
Such prescripts state that any Councillor who refuses to leave a Council Meeting/Committee when directed to do so by the Speaker/Chairperson of a meeting in terms of any rule in the Rules and Orders Guide of Council, that Councillor may be forcibly removed and shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one month or to both a fine and imprisonment.
Other Councillors voluntarily left the meeting but did not affect the proceedings of the meeting since the majority of Councillors were present, including the DA.
The business of Council continued normally and Council Resolutions agreed upon in their absence.
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