Councillors dived for cover as chaos broke out at a Nelson Mandela Bay council meeting on Thursday.
Two councillors — mayoral committee member Rano Kayser (DA) and Rosie Daaminds (ANC) — were injured in a brawl during which glass jugs and tumblers were hurled inside the chamber and at least one gunshot fired. Kayser and Daaminds were carried out on stretchers by emergency workers.
The chaos unfolded only 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 former municipal manager of Amathole District Municipality.
More democracy ANC-style. Not to mention the bullet hole now in the ceiling of the NMBM Council Chamber.
Posted by Annette Lovemore on Thursday, October 27, 2016
The closed session had resolved to give notice to suspend chief financial officer Trevor Harper for negligently signing off on payments worth R34.6m to a company without a lawful contract in place.
The ruckus appeared to happen when an ANC councillor started the meeting early. When an inquiry was ordered, two ANC councillors irregularly approached the speaker. The commotion ensued after they were told to leave the chamber.
This is what the ANC has turned our council chamber and an IDP MEETING in Despatch into today. The Last dying kicks pic.twitter.com/cPs9rPBKcJ
— Athol Trollip (@AtholT) October 27, 2016
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