POLL | Is Mzwandile Masina right to lay charges against Ekurhuleni speaker and mayor?

01 April 2022 - 13:00
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Former Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina. File photo.
Former Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina. File photo.
Image: PUXLEY MAKGATHO

Former Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina says he will open a case against the city's speaker Raymond Dlamini and mayor Tania Campbell. 

This come after he was removed from the council chamber on Thursday.

Video clips of him being hauled out by security officials went viral on social media.

In one video, the person recording appeared to be protecting Masina from other council members, saying ANC members had been subject to an attack.

Some social media users said Masina was removed after threatening an EFF councillor, which Masina has denied.

Speaking on Newzroom Afrika, Masina said there was no fight between the ANC and EFF. 

“The EFF and ourselves are together. There were no threats or fights, that's why there was no need for them to bring bouncers there.”

Masina said he will open a case against Dlamini and Campbell to account for how police ended up in the council chamber. 

The mayor and the speaker would also have to identify the people who removed him from the chamber like a “thug” and “hooligan”, he said.

“There was no need for them to manhandle and assault me. I will open a case against the mayor, the speaker and the MEC of police tomorrow [Friday] because I am a public representative and have all the rights in council to raise issues. I never threw bottles. All I did was to call points of order when the speaker was ignoring glaring mistakes.”

Dlamini, also speaking on Newzroom Afrika, said Masina was removed from council after continuous disruptions of proceedings, along with Ekurhuleni chief whip Jongizizwe Dlabathi. 

He said the pair were removed on his instructions after he requested them to leave the chamber and his requests were ignored.

According to Dlamini, Masina and other ANC councillors were not used to no longer being in power.

“We kept calling for order. When we were done with the debate and had to go to the agenda, I could no longer take it,” said Dlamini.

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