January’s normal council meeting got off to a shaky start in the Germiston council chambers on Thursday with female EFF councillors feeling unsafe.
The cause of the commotion was centred around Ward 96 councillor, Clr Stenias Mashala, who was recently arrested by the Putfontein police for assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The female councillors claimed they didn’t feel safe so close to a “woman abuser” and that to allow him to continue to sit in the chambers would reflect poorly on the metro as a whole.
“We suggest that he be suspended until he has been proven innocent, and if he is found guilty he should be sent to prison,” said one EFF councillor among the screaming shouts.
The EFF went so far as to accuse the ANC of defending corruption and protecting those in the wrong.
According to a DA press release, it is alleged that Clr Mashala, along with five members of the ANC’s Ekurhuleni branch, assaulted a woman who exposed their alleged corruption.
Following the allegations, the DA in the metro called on the council to suspend the councillor, pending further investigations.
“As the DA, we take corruption very seriously and have committed to investigating every avenue to thwart corrupt deeds, and will be writing to the executive mayor, requesting that urgent steps be taken against those involved, given the seriousness of the allegations,” said Clr Ashley Hoods, the DA shadow MMC for community safety.
The GCN’s sister newspaper, the Benoni City Times, reported that the Putfontein Police Station’s station commander, Lieut-Col Wellington Mathiane, explained that the victim was assaulted at a meeting that was held in the area.
“It was reported that there was an argument between the councillor’s wife and the victim, which lead to the victim being assaulted,” Mathiane said.
Mashala, and the alleged suspects, appeared in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court on January 17, where the case was postponed for further investigation.
After a series of insults and allegations, during which time the EFF also found the time to complain about the lack of furniture for its members, a multi-party caucus, made up of each party’s chief whip, was called to make a final decision on the matter.
The chief whip of council, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, shared the caucus’ findings with the house.
“We have all agreed that the allegations are serious and that they need to be handled with care.
“We have, therefore, decided that the council’s official process, started by the DA, will continue and the matter will be handed over to the ethics committee for investigation.
“At the next council meeting the committee will present its findings and suggestions for the way forward.
“In the interim we will not suspend the councillor as we feel this is jumping the gun on the investigation’s findings,” he said.
To address the issues of safety, the chief whip insisted that security would be tightened to avoid any incidents.
The council meeting then continued, with the EFF still voicing their concerns.
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