Protesters disrupt BCM budget meeting over suspended councillor
Disgruntled ANC protesters who disrupted the Buffalo City Metro budget tabling on Wednesday were dragged and pushed out of the East London City Hall.
The uproar broke out during mayor Xola Pakati’s address.
The protesters called for the removal of ward 20 councillor Ntombizodwa Gamnca.
Gamnca attended Tuesday’s meeting despite her party, the ANC, saying they had suspended her for allegedly selling houses illegally to residents in Mdantsane and failing to deliver title deeds. ANC proportional representative councillor Ncedo Kumbaca was deployed by the party as a caretaker councillor in Gamnca’s ward in March but she removed him from office earlier in May.
On Wednesday, while Pakati was presenting the 2019-2020 financial year budget, the protesters chanted in the gallery leading to the adjournment of the meeting and an early lunch break.
They yelled: “She must go! What is she doing here? She has been suspended!”
More than 10 law enforcement officers eventually clashed with the group after they refused to leave the gallery. The officers were seen pushing the group out of City Hall.
When the meeting resumed at 1.30pm, Gamnca was back at her table in the chamber.
Council speaker Alfred Mtsi said there was a “top secret” report to be tabled about the Gamnca saga.
He apologised to the about the chaos. However, other ANC councillors called for an investigation on the matter.
ANC ward 24 councillor Zameka Kodwa-Gajula called on ”our chief whip [Mawethu Marata] to investigate the matter” councillors as the protesters included ANC members and municipal workers.
EFF councillor Mziyanda Hlekiso called for the “unsafe” meeting to be adjourned.
ANC senior coucillor Luleka Simon-Ndzele said: “The dignity of this council is decreasing every day. The way the mayor was removed from that podium by protesters was disrespectful while he was addressing a very important matter, the budget.”
By the time of writing the Gamnca confidential report had not been tabled, but an ANC councillor told the Dispatch the matter would be referred to a “relevant” BCM committee for investigation.