WATCH VIDEO: Council political infighting continues
“On Friday, EFF members disrupted our workshop meeting, they even had guns with them”.
Chaos erupted at Pretoria’s second council meeting when political rivals came to blows on Tuesday.
Two councillors claimed to have been physically attacked in the Tshwane council chambers in the Sammy Marks centre in the city.
DA councillor Elma Nel and EFF councillor Anna Masemola said they were assaulted by two other councillors inside the chambers.
Nel said ANC councillor Joe Masilela hit her with his elbow in her face when she was trying to take a photo of a damaged door.
“My back hurts and my neck is stiff. I even hurt my left knee because one shoe got lost when Masilela knocked me down”, said Nel.
DA councilloer Lex Middelberg helped the two to lay a charge of assault and intimidation against Masilela and Esther Mothuane, who allegedly assaulted Masemola.
Both Masilela and Mothuane are ANC councillors.
Because of the disorder, the topic of racism on the DA’s agenda was never discussed.
By around 20:30, An EFF councillor told Rekord by 20:30 that ANC members had threatened to assault EFF and other members.
“We had to be escorted by police. ANC members were standing outside and were planning to attack us,” said the councillor.
“They also did this because they knew by then the media had left and no one would report on this.”
ANC Chief Whip Arron Maluleka dismissed the EFF member’s allegations.
“On Friday, EFF members disrupted our workshop meeting, they even had guns with them. They are the ones who wanted to attack us. On Tuesday evening, we were escorted by police,” Maluleka said.
Middleberg said Nel and Masemola had laid a charge of intimidation at he Wonderboom police station.
Maluleka said he had seen the case number, and Masemola had laid a charge against another councillor not Mothaune.
Masemola said she laid a charge against two ANC members who she believed were sent by Mothaune to attack her.
“These two people who attacked me were sent by her to attack me. When the attack took place, she was inside the chambers and I was attacked outside,” Mothaune said.
Masemola said her entire body hurt.
“I saw when Masilela and Nel were arguing over her phone as she was busy taking photos and videos,” said Maluleka.
“I think he mistook her for a journalist and I told him that she was a councillor. I didn’t see when he hit her.”
He said Masilela apologised to Nel and he was shocked when he heard that Nel had laid a charge of assault and intimidation against Masilela.
EFF Tshwane spokesperson Brenda Phukuile said the ANC blocked the entrance to chambers on Tuesday morning.
“They didn’t want us to enter the chambers and they even broke down the door to the entrance of the chambers,” Phukuile said.
Phukuile rubbished Maluleka’s allegations that EFF members had interrupted Friday’s workshop by entering the chambers with guns.
“We can’t enter the chambers with guns because there is heavy security. We get searched, even our handbags get searched,” she said.
The next council meeting is at the end of October.
Also read:
Choas at second council meeting
DA and EFF councillor allegedly assaulted at council meeting
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