Protesters do not leave their sentry points on days of council meetings since the mayor and speaker of the Lekwa Municipality were removed, then re-instated.
At several council meetings, ANC-supporters were ready to support Mr Linda Dhlamini and Ms Makhosozana Khota and 11 March was no exception.
The meeting was adjourned at 12.20pm.
According to information, another faction was against their reappointment.
The problem dates back to 20 November 2018 when the DA put a motion of no confidence forward in a council meeting, regarding them.
Upon the Standerton Advertiser’s arrival before noon, a police presence indicated their cognisance of any eventuality.
An ANC-supporter was trying to keep tally of the number of councillors who had arrived for the meeting, giving the golden number of 16 to have a quorum.
The gates at the entrance to the municipal building in Mbonani Mayisela Street were closed.
Comments from the crowd ranged from ‘councillors who have lost the battle and blaming one another’ to the imploring ‘service delivery should be the most important’. The newspaper’s attempt to get comment in the council chamber was cut short although the security officers were prepared to allow entry.
An ANC-supporter said in no uncertain terms, amid raucous laughter, that the Advertiser was not welcome, being not the first time to be chased away.
The conversation was grudgingly translated to English upon request and the final ‘hamba’ was fully understood.
A last retort of ‘what happened to press freedom’ was lost, not in translation however.
Ms Sithi Silosini, PR-councillor of the DA, indicated protesters prevented councillors from entering at the previous meeting. “I heard voices saying ‘you have to go now’,” Ms Silosini said.
According to her, people in the crowd came charging at an ANC-councillor first, then spotted the DA-councillors.
“There is so much aggression,” she added.
She also said there is a feeling on grass-root level that the two officials should not be returned to office.
The only option in her words is to call for the council to be dissolved and new candidates to be proposed.
“The Section 106-investigation report will set the record straight,” she concluded.
The DA previously said they will call on the MEC of CoGTA, Mr Mandla Msibi, to urgently release the investigation report, that was requested in council, to probe alleged corruption and maladministration.
Mr Rosier de Ville, caucus leader of the DA, said on Thursday, 12 March that no new date for a meeting has been scheduled.
He previously hinted however, of going the legal route of applying for an interdict and added that a motion of no confidence implies dissatisfaction with the municipality from within council, as well as the community.
