Red card for EFF uniform

TWO EFF councillors in the City of uMhlathuze Municipality were thrown out of the council chambers in Richards Bay for wearing their traditional red regalia.

The two Proportional Representation councillors were part of the full council meeting last week when the Speaker, Cllr Silondile Mkhize objected to their dress code and requested them to remove their red regalia.

The pair asked a five minute break to caucus and on return refused to take off their red apparel, forcing the Speaker to ask them to leave.

Security guards escorted them out of the chamber.

EFF Cllr Phumlani Gumede accused the Speaker of violating the constitution and running the city in a ‘Mafia style’.

Gumede said as the EFF public representatives they will meet with the district interim leadership structure to weigh their options whether or not to take the matter to court.

‘EFF councillors have not been treated like this in other municipalities around the country.

‘In all Provincial Legislatures and National Parliament, public representatives from the EFF wear their red overalls, boots and jackets but they have never been subjected to such behaviour,’ said Gumede.

Gumede said they will attend the next council meeting wearing their trademark regalia, and if the Speaker ejects them again they will disrupt the proceedings.

‘We represent poor people, including farm and domestic workers.

‘We won’t tolerate this unconstitutional behaviour, which we view as an abuse of power and majority.

‘They can’t tell us what to wear as we don’t tell them what suit to wear.

‘The speaker broke the Municipal Act 32 of year 2000,’ said Gumede.

Court order

An EFF leader in the interim structure, Siboniso Khoza said it was sad that the city was breaking the law with impunity.

‘The money they used to hire the bouncers to kick out our members should have channeled other service delivery.

‘In Buffalo City, we obtained a court order, which prohibits municipalities from chasing our members out of the council meeting for wearing red overalls.

‘The late Speaker, Cllr Mthenjana didn’t behave like this. In all municipalities under King Cetshwayo District, all our councillors wear their red overalls and are not subjected to this kind of treatment,’ said Khoza.

City Speaker, Cllr Mkhize confirmed that the EFF members were asked to leave the council chambers for breaking the standing order rule.

‘I spoke to them politely and they refused to adhere to our standing order.

‘They were not manhandled, but after refusing to leave chamber, I asked the two permanently employed security guards to escort them out.

‘As the City of uMhlathuze, we have a dress code which applies to any council member. All I did was within the constitution and I followed the law.

‘If the EFF wants to take us to court, they can do so. I have been a councillor for almost 20 years and I know the law,’ she said.