Hendrick Shilabe made this allegation without naming the person, during the time allocated for political parties to comment and reply on the mayor’s state of the metro speech.
This speech was delivered during a special council meeting held on Wednesday in Germiston.
In his speech, Mondli Gungubele, Ekurhuleni’s mayor reflected on the “good story” of the ANC’s 20 years of governance.
The speech, as well as the political parties’ comments were televised, as well as broadcasted live on several radio stations.
Shilabe spoke directly after the DA leader, Fortune Mahano, replied on behalf of the DA about the state of Ekurhuleni.
He said this person, as far back as 2005, called black people k—-s and that they were baboons and the women just made babies like dogs.
Because only the ANC submitted speakers’ lists prior to the meeting, Patricia Kumalo, the speaker, allowed Shilabe to also speak as a DA member.
Shilabe’s statements infuriated the members of the DA.
While not only members of this party were shouting and commenting that this had nothing to do with the state of the metro, André du Plessis, chief whip of the DA caucus went to the bench of the speaker, requesting her to remove Shilabe from the council meeting.
When these requests became emotional and the council meeting turned into a chaotic rumble of disgusted people, the council meeting was interrupted with a brief electricity blackout.
Kumalo questioned if it was done on purpose.
Du Plessis and Mahano then went to Shilabe’s bench, asking him to leave. When Shilabe refused to go, the entire party (DA) left the meeting for the rest of the day.
Shilabe continued his allegations after his party left, saying he was not comfortable in the DA anymore and that he was going back to the ANC.
This announcement had the ANC members of Ekurhuleni clapping and jubilating.
Mayor Gungubele remarked in his response on the issue that non-racism was only about living a non-racial life.
Kumalo, upon the closing of the meeting, apologised to the community and guests who witnessed the incident, describing it as “very sad”.
Kumalo was also worried about Shilabe’s personal safety after he witnessed the aggression of the members of his party towards him.
She requested the chief whip to in future ensure that no-one goes to her bench as du Plessis had.
* Shilabe was the third DA proportional councillor in Ekurhuleni to leave the DA for the ANC in the past month. He followed David Veli Mosehla and Stephen Shabalala.
