[imagesource: YouTube / News24]

I sometimes wonder what a visitor to our shores, who flips on the telly in the hotel room to see these shenanigans, must think.

For us, it’s become a bit of a resigned shrug of the shoulders. Oh, look, the EFF must be craving some attention because they’re brawling with an opposition party again.

A City of Johannesburg Council meeting devolved into violence towards the end of the 12-hour sitting, with News24 reporting proceedings “ended up being suspended during the pre-dawn hours on Thursday”.

The DA, via the City of Joburg’s council speaker, Vasco Da Gama, has since laid a criminal charge against the EFF members involved at the Hillbrow police station.

Vasco Da Gama, you say? My high school history teacher would like a word.

The EFF, ANC and smaller opposition parties accused Da Gama of rigging council processes to push a DA-favoured candidate to act as council secretary…

The DA-led coalition government proposed that Madimetja Molekwa, who currently works in Parliament, acts as council secretary…

When Molekwa’s condonation was brought up for debate and voting, after a marathon of 12 hours, the EFF, ANC and smaller parties raised objections.

Rowdy councillors hurled petty insults, while demanding a chance to air their views and be recognised by the council speaker.

When they didn’t get their way, they resorted to violence:

City of Johannesburg Council meeting right now 😡

We want service delivery in our City, but it’s stifled by chaos and punch ups. pic.twitter.com/Aw0EWckzLH

— David Potter (@DavidCOJ102) August 10, 2022

Take a look at how the EFF behaved in the Council meeting in Jozi ydy and especially note the assault on a woman. Women’s day was just lip service. pic.twitter.com/41dgquDEfm

— Helen Zille (@helenzille) August 11, 2022

DA councillor Leah Knott said EFF members demanded the speaker be removed from the podium, which kickstarted the violence:

When DA councillors ushered Da Gama out of the council, EFF councillors pounced on anyone around them.

Knott said that, as she tried to document the altercation, an EFF member threatened to take her phone.

It is worth pointing out once more that Tuesday was Women’s Day, and this took place in the wee hours of Thursday morning:

The EFF took offence to being filmed specifically assaulting women & tried to forcibly remove my phone while resorting to racism & physical threats. I’m sure GBV is top of their priority list 🙄 pic.twitter.com/DBCwmmHFKU

— Cllr Leah Knott (@LeahK28) August 11, 2022

However, EFF councillor Sepetlele Raseruthe said it was actually Julius Malema’s party that was under attack:

“We went to the speaker because we wanted the mic, the fighters wanted the mic, and the DA members hit one of us. That is what happened there. Now it was a scuffle because we had to defend ourselves. We were not going to fold our arms while we were under attack,” Raseruthe said.

Raseruthe said the EFF believed Molekwa was a fake secretary and had already started acting in the position, despite the council not confirming his appointment.

The ANC also laid the blame at the feet of the DA.

One thing we can usually count on is that when a political sitting devolves into violence, you’ll find the EFF in the thick of it.

What next, a sitting president refuses to admit he lost a free and fair election and encourages his supporters to storm the Union Buildings? Imagine what a tourist visiting from the US would think about that?

[source:news24]