Two Polokwane Municipal councillors ordered out of the disrupted monthly council meeting that took place last Thursday will face the municipality’s Ethics Committee as soon as a meeting can be convened in view of the fact that the council is already in recess until the next meeting in January.
Matshidiso Mothapo, acting Communications and Marketing Manager of the municipality, confirmed that Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillors Len Meyer and Mike Ramaphoko were barred from attendance of the rest of the meeting resumed later on Thursday afternoon.
Video material posted on Polokwane Observer’s website shortly after the meeting was adjourned showed Meyer and Ramaphoko resisting following Speaker Mariri Ralafetane ordering municipal security personnel to escort them from the chamber. Other councillors joined in the fighting that saw fists flying and water bottles and red safety hats used as weapons.
Furniture and equipment were also damaged in the altercations that lasted at least 30 minutes before Ralefatane adjourned the meeting.
The presence of a crowd of supporters in EFF regalia that took up most of the public gallery, encouraging their political leaders, did not contribute to the calming of emotions. “I think this whole parade was planned because the supporters arrived in a group and even brought along their own banner that was concealed,” remarked a member of the public who wished to remain anonymous.
The reconvened meeting took place without further interruptions with a broken chair and the damaged main door to the council chamber as the only sign of the drama that played itself out earlier.
Story/photos: BARRY VILJOEN
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Featured photo: Municipal security personnel attempt to remove EFF councillors from the disrupted council meeting last Thursday.
