Council is EFFed up: Mayor surrounded by protesters
A group of EFF councillors forced Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis off the podium where he had just begun his mayoral address during yesterday morning’s council meeting.
The councillors, who had been silently holding their placards from the beginning of the meeting, defied council Speaker Felicity Purchase’s warnings to stop interrupting the meeting.
The banners carried messages with reference to the recent taxi strike, such as “JP Smith has blood on his hands” and “JP Smith is killing black economy”.
Cape Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams also participated in the protest.
Purchase said: “In terms of the rules, you may not disrupt the meeting, you may not hold posters. Please take a seat.”
When the councillors ignored her pleas, Purchase added: “I’m naming you now, the whole party [EFF] for the first time. For the second time and for the third time. Can you please leave the meeting? The EFF will have no speaking time in the meeting.”
From the podium, as Purchase was naming the silent protesters, Hill-Lewis, who appeared happy to continue, said: “I have no objection to silent protests, Madam Speaker. But I do think that there are some statements…”
At that point, the EFF councillors in their red overalls mounted the stage and surrounded the podium.
At about 10.15am, Purchase said: “Mayor, we will adjourn the meeting while these councillors are removed from the chamber, Thank you. We will be back in 10 minutes.”
The 10 minutes stretched to more than an hour as by 11.26am the meeting had not been called to order.
The mayor spoke briefly to EFF councillor Lungiswa Ntshuntshe, who was nearest to him, before he left the podium.
Hill-Lewis was interrupted as he was to announce the first recipients of Civic Honours from the council in 12 years.
The honours recognise extraordinary individuals for their contributions to society.
Among this year’s recipients and their citations were lawyer, activist and former Constitutional Court Justice, Albie Sachs, playwright Athol Fugard and social, education and climate justice activist and Archbishop of Cape Town, Dr Thabo Makgoba.
Others included Afrikaans poet and former political prisoner Breyten Breytenbach, Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis, and humanitarian and founder of Gift of the Givers, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman.
Musician Jonathan Butler, along with political satirist, playwright and HIV/Aids educator Pieter-Dirk Uys, also had honours bestowed on them.
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