The debate of the State of the City Address on Thursday (March 30) derailed almost as quickly as the State of the City Address did the previous day, when the EFF noted that the mayor, Clr Mzwandile Masina, was not in the Germiston Council Chamber to listen to councillors’ comments.
“Which mayor are we addressing because neither the mayor nor the city manager are in the chamber?
“We don’t know where they are but it shows a complete lack of respect for the councillors and the council as a whole,” said the EFF.
“He needs to be the one to comment on the issues raised in the debate and how can he do that when he isn’t here?
“So should we wait for him before the councillors continue?”
The chief whip of council, Clr Jongizizwe Dlabathi, agreed and the meeting was stopped to allow time to locate the mayor.
When he entered the chambers, the DA called a point of order that the speeches be started again so that the mayor could listen to them.
Ald Tania Campbell, the DA chief whip in Ekurhuleni, said, “Due to council legislation, we will have to start the speeches again so the mayor can actually listen to what is being said.”
While the EFF commented, “If the mayor needed to be elsewhere he should have apologised so councillors knew what was happening.”
Dlabathi said it was unnecessary to start the speeches again as the MMCs had taken notes and would fill the mayor in, but the DA and EFF disagreed with this.
The mayor becoming very angry said, “I only have to listen if I am given an opportunity to talk. If not, I am not obligated to listen to anyone.”
“We offer advice to the mayor – a good leader is a good listener. Enough said!” said the EFF.
An uproar ensued and the mayor, followed by his MMCs and the ANC councillors, left the chamber.
After some time the ANC all returned and the assembled councillors were told if they insist on delivering their speeches again, then the mayor would start first by delivering his State of the City Address as he had not been afforded the opportunity of delivering it in the council chambers yesterday.
The parties agreed to this.
“We agree that the speech be delivered and then the responding speeches be started again. However, if the mayor threatens me I would hope the EMPD will be called in to handle it, because the EMPD are there to protect all of us and I find it unacceptable that the mayor threatens someone,” said Campbell.
The mayor then started his State of the City Address, stopping for a while when the EFF asked where he was in the speech so they could follow.
He then resumed his speech.
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