‘Keep Mandela out of your mouth’: Joburg council chaos over member’s support for Israel

A City of Johannesburg Council meeting disintegrated into chaos on Tuesday as a Jewish councillor from the DA was heckled for mentioning Nelson Mandela’s name.

DA councillor told not to quote Mandela

Councilor Daniel Shay was heckled for mentioning Mandela’s name in his speech on service delivery in Orange Farm.

“Speaker, on a point of order, that one cannot speak of Mandela when Mandela was against Zionists he must speak about Hertzog, Jan Van Riebeeck, and the rest,” an opposition councillor said.

Matters were made worse when some councillors started chanting “Free Palestine”. Speaker of Council Margaret Arnolds responded by calling for order in the chambers.

“Councillors, can I have ordered, please? Councillors, can we not heckle the councillor? Councillors can we please not do this?,” Arnolds said.

Controversy over The Star of David

There was also a complaint from one councillor that Shay was wearing a tie with a star that symbolized Israel.

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“I just want to find out if that tie that the councillor is wearing is allowed in council. It has an emblem. Is that emblem allowed in council?” asked the councillor.

Shay replied that the emblem was The Star of David.

“If they have issues with Jewish religious symbols they must say it out loud,” Shay replied.

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But DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku stood in defence of her fellow councillor.

“Speaker freedom of religion is protected by the constitution. It is the first time in these chambers that someone’s religion or expression of their religion is being questioned. Can I ask that we tread cautiously,” Kayser-Echeozonjoku said.