A West Rand Freedom Front Plus (FFP) councillor has opened a case of assault following a recent council meeting.
Amanda de Lange, FFP councillor, said she was assaulted in council by the West Rand District Municipality‘s (WRDM) security company.
The case is the result of an incident that occurred at the meeting. De Lange attended the meeting in what she believed was her official capacity at the time, but was told the Independent Electoral Committee (IEC) had made a mistake in the counting process.
De Lange said she was asked to move and was allegedly about to do so but first wanted to address the chairman of the sitting. She said further that before she knew it, security had grabbed her and allegedly assaulted her in font of the West Rand council.
“ANC authorities made a mockery of the ‘No Violence Against Women and Children’ activism drive,” De Lange said, noting that the alleged assault took place during Women’s Month.
De Lange has since opened a criminal case against one of the women from the municipality’s security company who allegedly attacked her, and has taken further steps against the municipality.
Kamohelo Tsotetsi, the West Rand District communication officer, confirmed the incident but said the municipality was not aware of the pending criminal case.
On behalf of the municipality, Tsotesi said De Lange is not a councillor of the West Rand District. “De Lange seated herself with the councillors of the WRDM and demanded to be allowed to address the council. In view of the fact that Ms de Lange had no official standing in the council, she was requested to remain seated, not address the council and not to disrupt the proceedings of council in terms of the set agenda. De Lange refused and kept on disrupting the meeting,” he said.
Tsotesi confirmed that security was indeed called by the chairman of the meeting, the WRDM municipal manager, but said no assault took place. Tsotetsi said De Lange left on her own once security arrived – no-one physically removed her from the meeting.
De Lange said she is still busy taking the case up where she can, including with the IEC; however, the municipality has stood firm, maintaining that the matter was not violent and De Lange is not a councillor.
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