Various councillors from the BO, ANC, PA en EFF walked out of the very first council meeting for 2023 on Tuesday 24 January.
According to the councillors who gathered in Standard’s office, things got out of hand when councillor Moses Mangali from the ANC asked a question.
“Councillor Mangali asked to address the council meeting, but he was shut down,” explains Nik Wullschlegger from the BO.
Mangali asked about security workers who had been to the municipal office the day before complaining about their employer, who is contracted by the BVM, who had not yet paid them. It was explained to Standard that the police were called to remove the workers from the premises.
Mangalai had asked the speaker and the Mayor why they have not informed the rest of the councillors.
“I raised my hand and said there is something they forgot to mention in the agenda and the mayor’s opening speech. Because the mayor is supposed to address all the issues at hand. I started speaking in my own language, which I have the right to do. The speaker looked enraged and cut me off,” says Mangali.
Another councillor said that a councillor started laughing at them, so they left the meeting.
It is alleged the speaker counts to three while people are still speaking and then switches off their microphones.
“He has no respect for us.”
According to the Mayor, Antoinette Steyn, the police were never called and the workers never came onto the property of BVM.
She said Councillor Mangali was at the office when this was taking place and he discussed the matter with her and the municipal manager, as well as with the workers.
Steyn further explained that if a point is not on the council meeting’s agenda it can only be added in writing or by sending correspondence to the speaker.
“If it is not on the agenda then it will not be discussed. And if something is on the agenda and the discussion took place and the matter was settled, then we cannot return to the point again. Debates after I have finished my opening speech are not allowed in council meetings. The speaker simply enforced the rules in the meeting,” she said.
Steyn adds the councillor who laughed, did not laugh at anyone in the meeting.
“She was talking to her colleague while looking at something in her phone and then laughed at her phone.”
Speaker Frank van Zyl said that he always tries his best to be polite to all the councillors.
“But at the same time I am responsible for maintaining order during council meetings. Mangali started speaking without permission in the meeting. The point he wanted to discus was not part of the agenda and we need to stick to the agenda. Prior notice must be given if extra points need to be added to the agenda.”
He concluded by saying that he is very lenient toward the councillors, especially when they are speaking, but that there is always limited time for this.
