NEWCASTLE: Tension reaches boiling point outside Utrecht council chambers

A long overdue meeting of the Emadlangeni Council had to be called off once again after a small but hostile group of protesters locked the gates to the municipal building and threatened violence should the meeting proceed.

The only item on the agenda for the special council meeting, which was scheduled to take place at 12pm today (October 23), was a motion to relieve the municipality’s chief financial officer from her dual position as the acting municipal manager and appoint another senior official to take over.

Community activists, who have been urging the council to convene a meeting for months, were elated when it appeared that the community’s elected officials had finally heard their call. The day began, however, with one of the activists, Senzo Ndlovu, being physically attacked outside the municipal building by protesters, believed to be demonstrating their support of the ANC Mayor, Cllr Lindiwe Mhlungu and CFO, Sane Mhlophe.

In an attempt to throw off his assailants, Ndlovu drove to the Utrecht police station. However, one of the protestors followed Ndlovu to the police station and continued to assault him in full view of the police officers on duty.

“He claimed that I swore at him but I have never sworn at anyone in my life. I did not try to fight back. I am not that kind of person. Police arrested him on the spot and gave me the forms to fill in to open a case,” said Ndlovu, who was taken to Niemeyer Hospital for medical attention.

Ndlovu suspects the people who assaulted him are part of the group of people who didn’t want the council meeting to take place today. His t-shirt had visible blood stains but he said he was alright considering what he had been through.

Read more on this story on next week’s print edition of the Newcastle Advertiser.