Skirmishes broke out between the police and members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Tuesday after a group of protesters arrived to demand money they said they were owed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) for election campaign work.
The protesters, some wearing DA t-shirts, shouted “pay back the money†to Mayor Herman Mashaba who went on to receive a memorandum from them.
“We want our money…nothing else. We were promised payments and worked for the DA,†said protester Dineo Sekalo, from Alexandra.
She said the DA asked groups of people in Alexandra to help it during local government elections, and promised to pay them immediately after the elections.
“We were promised R50 a day during campaigns and R150 a day for the period between 1 and 3 August. We’re still to be paid…this is illegal by the DA.â€
Mashaba tried to talk to protesters, but to no avail as they shouted and pointed fingers at him, demanding the payments.
He promised to meet the protesters on Wednesday.
The council meeting was then halted by an EFF councillor, who stood up and demanded that Mashaba go and receive a memorandum from the protesters at the building entrance. EFF councillors left the chambers ahead of Mashaba.
Skirmishes then broke out as EFF councillors tried to make their way back into council chambers. Police used pepper spray to disperse EFF councillors who were prevented from accessing the council chambers again. The councillors waved their hard hats in the air, threatening to beat up the police unless they let them through.
Mashaba, surrounded by police, returned to chambers to deliver his speech.
– African News Agency (ANA)
