‘Embarrassed’ Mzwandile Masina to lay charges against mayor and speaker after council brawl

Former Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina said he would on Friday lay charges against Ekurhuleni speaker Raymond Dlamini and mayor Tania Campbell after he was dragged out of council chambers on Thursday.

Masina placed the blame on them after Ekurhuleni metro police department (EMPD) members and private security officials dragged him out of council proceedings.

“I was badly beaten and am still ashamed that as an elected party representative, I could be manhandled that way. There was no fight. We just differed about the issues. They opted to use an iron first and humiliate us,” Masina said.

He also wanted the EMPD officers who threw him out of council to account, saying he was dragged out “like a hooligan and would have left the chambers had I been asked”.

A video clip of him being hauled out by the security officials went viral on social media.

A second video surfaced, showing Masina outside chambers with his shirt and waist coat crumpled and tie pulled out of place.

The person recording the second video appears to protect Masina from other council members, saying the ANC members had been the subject of an attack.

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika several hours later, Masina said he was thrown out of council for asking valid questions of the mayor following her delivery of the state of the city address.

“As the ANC-led caucus we presented the alternative state of the city address which annoyed the mayor. She had no alternative but to call bouncers to remove us from chamber,” Masina said.

He claimed the meeting collapsed because Dlamini wanted council officials to lie about receipt of questions which they had not received.

“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 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 point of orders when the speaker was ignoring glaring mistakes” said Masina.

He said the DA-led council was incompetent when it came to dealing with substantive issues, adding that they were “resorting to violence and I have become a target”.

“Sadly, they are working with some people who are contending forces within our own movement, and I think those are issues we can deal with internally,” said Masina.

“What happened today is unfair and unjust and will have to be challenged.”

Dlamini, however, poured cold water on Masina’s allegations.

Also speaking to Newzroom Africa, Dlamini described the day as hectic, saying Masina and Jongizizwe Dlabathi  were removed from council after continuous disruptions of proceedings.

Dlamini said the pair were removed on his instruction after he requested them to leave the chamber but his requests were ignored.

He said he had tried to remind the two of council rules which call for members to respect the speaker but, Dlamini said, the ANC were seemingly “there to disrupt, disrupt, disrupt”.

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

He expressed his disappointment in Masina and Dlabathi, the caucus whip and former speaker, who he said he had expected to lead by example.

“With that I had enough and had to call the unit to come in,” he said, adding he was well within his rights to call for their removal.

After Masina’s removal, the entire ANC caucus decided to follow.

Dlamini said  the ANC was bitter and had not adjusted to being the opposition.

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