EFF councillor opens assault case against GMM enforcers

An Economic Freedom Fighters councillor in Govan Mbeki Municipality, Daniel Khoza, has opened a case of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm against the council speaker, Fikile Magagamela, municipal manager Elliot Maseko and municipal law enforcers at the Secunda Police Station on April 29.

This came after municipal law enforcers forcefully removed Khoza from the council chambers in Secunda during a council meeting on April 25.

Khoza said he rejected the previous adjustment budget council meeting minutes which, he claims, were a false reflection of what had happened.

“My sin was to disagree with those minutes because they were not the true reflection of decisions taken.

“In those minutes, it states that no one abstain from voting for the adjustment budget while one EFF councillor did abstain from voting. I was still on the podium when the mayor, Nhlakanipho Zuma raised a point of order against me.”

According to Khoza, a disagreement followed and he then waited for the speaker to rule on the matter.

“However, she insisted that I sit down. She said she was tired of me because I always disturb council proceedings,” said Khoza.

Khoza said when he continued to raise his concern about the minutes, the speaker told him to leave the council meeting.

“When I asked her why, the speaker asked the municipal manager to call the law enforcers to forcefully remove me from the meeting.”

He said the law enforcers grabbed him by the neck and he could not breathe.

ALSO CHECK: Body of missing eMbalenhle toddler found in veld

“I clutched onto a table. The law enforcers then grabbed me by my hands and feet and dragged me across the floor out of the council chambers. I sustained injuries on my body, which was confirmed by my doctor after a check-up,” said Khoza.

In a video circulating on social media, law enforcers can be seen grabbing Khoza while is asking what he had done wrong.

The municipality’s communications department issued a response that the removal was ordered by the speaker in terms of the council’s standing orders.

Council meetings are streamed live to ensure transparency. According to the communication officers, the matter was resolved and Khoza continued to take part in the council meeting until the end.

They said Khoza has a tendency to interrupt the council meetings and he was warned many times.

ALSO CHECK: Bethal man who allegedly raped his 13-year-old daughter applies for legal aid