Metro presses ahead with mayor election despite DA reservation
“The culture of violence, intimidation and criminality already pervades meetings of the municipal council, and scheduling an election meeting on the day that an anti-DA ANC march is planned to Tshwane House is a recipe for disaster.”
The Tshwane metro insists that the council meeting to elect a mayor will be on Friday despite the DA asking that the sitting be rescheduled.
DA Tshwane caucus leader councillor Cilliers Brink has written a letter to the head of the Office of Speaker to raise safety concerns for the councillors against the backdrop of an ANC protest outside the council chambers on the same day.
He said he feared violence would imperil the fairness of the election of March 17.
On Wednesday ANC announced the “people’s march” in Tshwane to push for the DA to improve service delivery in the metro.
Brink said the notice of the municipal council meeting must be withdrawn for “security concerns and risk of violence and intimidation”.
He cited constrained law enforcement capacity due to the protest.
“We, therefore, find it bizarre that despite security assessment that the Office of the Speaker has nonetheless proceeded to schedule a full meeting of the municipal council, one where a highly contested election of an executive mayor must take place.”
He said the sitting on March 13, when the election of a speaker was held, was already filled with tension and violence.
“Video footage confirms that councillors of the ANC and the EFF attacked councillors of the DA, ActionSA and the FF Plus.”
This is how Panyaza @Lesufi's thugs behave in the Tshwane Metro Council. No wonder he feels comfortable to work with the other thugs from the #EFF. Pretoria deserves better. pic.twitter.com/T5klcelHn5
— Kallie Kriel (@kalliekriel) March 13, 2023
“The culture of violence, intimidation and criminality already pervades meetings of the municipal council, and scheduling an election meeting on the day that an anti-DA ANC march is planned to Tshwane House is a recipe for disaster.”
Brink said the march put the lives and property of municipal staff at risk.
“We, therefore, call on you to withdraw the notice of the meeting and to instead schedule an election meeting for a suitable day next week. Should you fail to do so, and should the risks outlined in this letter materialise, we will hold your office and the office-bearers who made this decision personally responsible for any damage to property, injury or loss of life that might occur.”
Tshwane metropolitan police (TMPD) spokesperson Isaac Mahamba said the marchers would gather at Old Putco depot and make their way to Tshwane House in Pretoria Central on March 17.
He said metro police would be deployed to monitor marchers in all affected streets.
Speaker office spokesperson Vanessa de Sousa said the special council meeting will take place on March 17 as scheduled.
She said the office had already before announcing the meeting held discussions with law enforcement departments on security strategies.
“Meetings were held all with law enforcement agencies, where risk assessments were conducted and all concerns discussed.”
She said security measures would also be put in place to ensure the meeting continued without any risk to life and property as well as without interruption of the election of the mayor, which should be free and fair.
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