Terrified councillors dived for cover as all hell broke loose in a highly contentious Nelson Mandela Bay council meeting on Thursday. Two councillors – DA mayoral committee member Rano Kayser and the ANC’s Rosie Daaminds – were injured in a bloody brawl‚ which saw glass jugs and glasses hurled inside the chambers and at least one gunshot fired.The council chamber resembled a war zone afterwards‚ with shards of glass everywhere.Kayser and Daaminds were carried out on stretchers by emergency workers. The drama erupted just moments before mayor Athol Trollip and his team were to announce the appointment of a new municipal manager‚ Vuyo Mlokoti‚ a former official at the City of Johannesburg and ex-municipal manager of the Amathole District Municipality.Prior to that‚ in the closed session of the meeting: - Councillors decided that chief financial officer Trevor Harper be given a notice of intention to suspend him for negligently signing off on payments worth R34.6-million to a company without a lawful contract in place. He will undergo a disciplinary inquiry; and- They also agreed that the conduct of ANC Ward 16 councillor Xola Sabani would be probed for allegedly starting a public municipal meeting‚ meant to be led by Trollip and his executive‚ an hour before the scheduled start.It was the inquiry into Sabani’s conduct which sparked the clash.Kayser was injured when a glass jug was allegedly smashed into his head.His head was bandaged and his shirt covered in blood as he was carried out by emergency workers. Daaminds is believed to have collapsed‚ but whether it was from the shock of the ugly incident or an injury from the glass is still unknown. A Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral committee member and another councillor were injured in the fight. Image: Eugene CoetzeePolice cordoned off the chamber afterwards for their investigation.Military Road was also blocked off with police vehicles for about an hour.Humewood police station commander Brigadier Ronald Koll was among the police at the scene.Trollip‚ flanked by leaders of the UDM‚ AIC‚ ACDP‚ EFF and Patriotic Alliance‚ laid the blame for the violence squarely at the feet of the ANC.However‚ the ANC said the DA-led coalition government should take full responsibility.Trollip said the council had been disrupted after two ANC councillors refused to leave when they were ordered out of the meeting.They were arguing against the inquiry into Sabani’s conduct.“At that stage‚ two councillors – Makhi Feni and Andile Lungisa – approached the speaker’s table‚” Trollip said.“They went up there clearly with the intention to intimidate and assault the speaker.“There is footage of one of those councillors assaulting a member of the mayoral committee [Kayser] with a glass jug – a big‚ heavy glass jug.“There is also footage of other councillors throwing glasses.”Feni declined to comment‚ but Lungisa said they had approached speaker Jonathan Lawack to reason with him when Kayser and two other DA councillors allegedly charged for them.He claimed that the DA councillors had assaulted them first and he and Feni had merely been defending themselves.Lungisa said he could not recall what he had used to defend himself‚ but had dislocated his shoulder during the scuffle. Trollip said the glasses and jugs had mostly been thrown in his and deputy mayor Mongameli Bobani’s direction and they had all ducked for cover.He said a security officer had fired warning shots to stop the melee.“The fact that there were shots fired in the council has got to be regarded as a point we cannot go any lower than‚” the mayor said.“I have no doubt that if the shot‚ or shots‚ had not been fired into the ceiling‚ what would have ensued could have been much worse than what we saw this afternoon.“That behaviour cannot be accepted in a civilised constitutional democracy.”He claimed an ANC councillor had been seen carrying a knife.Trollip‚ who said security would have to be beefed up for future meetings‚ said councillors had been getting threats.He did not elaborate on the kind of threats or say which councillors had been targeted.ANC caucus leader councillor Bicks Ndoni said the DA was responsible for the chaos.“The speaker refused for us to engage in a simple matter. They were hell-bent on disciplining a councillor‚ saying he was unruly at a meeting‚” Ndoni said.“If they had just allowed a debate on the issue‚ that chaos would not have happened.“In no time‚ councillors were shouting at each other and glasses started flying in that chaos.“Shots were fired – I cannot recall how many. Some councillors ducked under the tables.”He said he could not say who had started throwing the jugs and glasses as there had been a lot of shouting.“We will wait for the police investigation‚” Ndoni said.ANC regional spokesman Gift Ngqondi claimed earlier DA chief whip Werner Senekal had fired the shots‚ but this was denied vehemently by Trollip.At a media briefing afterwards‚ the UDM’s Bobani said the law should take its course‚ while Patriotic Alliance councillor Marlon Daniels said he was disheartened by the behaviour of the ANC.EFF councillor Yoliswa Yako‚ saying she was disgusted and appalled by what she had witnessed on Thursday‚ said councillors could not resort to violence when they lost debates in chambers.ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom was at a loss for words and became emotional‚ while AIC councillor Tshonono Buyeye said those responsible for the drama should be held accountable.Only a couple of hours after the drama‚ ANC supporters disrupted a public IDP meeting in Khayamnandi township on Thursday night that was to be addressed by the coalition government.It follows the disruption of several IDP meetings in the past six weeks‚ particularly in ANCstronghold areas.Trollip said he had written to the ANC’s regional and provincial leadership to complain about the conduct of the party’s members.DA federal executive chairman James Selfe said a coordinated campaign on Thursday by the ANC in the council meetings of Johannesburg‚ Tshwane and the Bay to disrupt the business of the day had undermined democracy and exposed the party’s true colours as a party of lawlessness.Selfe said the ANC could not accept its electoral defeat at the hands of the DA in the major metros‚ and had nothing left to offer but chaos and disorder.“The conduct of the ANC today was a disgrace‚” he said.“In Johannesburg the ANC caucus disrupted council for long periods‚ staged walkouts‚ returned and continued to disrupt the business of council.“In Tshwane‚ the ANC tripartite alliance disrupted the agenda of council through Samwu members breaching the Sammy Marks chamber building violently and aggressively‚ and the ANC councillors inside the chamber abusing the rules to delay council business.”Meanwhile‚ speaking about the appointment of the new administration boss‚ who will start in December‚ Trollip said Mlokoti was the standout candidate who had scored the highest points.Mlokoti holds a master’s degree in public administration and a certificate of executive leadership in public development‚ and has vast experience working for Seta recently as well as extensive experience in local government.“We believe he is the most suitable person for the job‚” he said.“We believe Mr Mlokoti has all the qualities to be the kind of city manager we want. We look forward to welcoming him.”He sang the praises of the present acting city manager‚ Johann Mettler‚ who has been working at the municipality for almost a year.Mettler‚ who is said to have also applied for the job‚ declined to comment. – TMG Digital/The Herald ..