City of Johannesburg mayor, Herman Mashaba, on Thursday said he would be laying criminal charges against hundreds of people who disrupted a Council meeting and destroyed City property.
This comes after at least 300 people, alleged to be members of the Johannesburg Social Movement (JSM), stormed the Council sitting in Braamfontein where Mashaba was scheduled to table the City’s 2016/17 Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework for adoption.
The JSM protesters were marching on the Joburg Council to express their displeasure at the cancellation of the Jozi@Work programmes by Mashaba.
The group of protesters wearing yellow overalls and jackets stormed the Council Chamber, allegedly threatening the lives of councillors and City employees while trashing furniture and smashing glass doors. Police had to use stun grenades to disperse them.
Mashaba said this was a blatant attempt to prevent Council from passing the adjustment budget and bringing change to the residents of the city.
“I condemn the violence that has broken out at the Johannesburg Council in the strongest terms; it has not place in our democracy,” Mashaba said in a statement.
“Those responsible for the violence and damage to City property today must be held accountable and I will be laying criminal charges at the Joburg Central Police Station tomorrow morning. We will not be deterred. The people’s business will be done.”
Mashaba blamed the African National Congress (ANC) for the disruption, saying that the march was led by an organisation set up by ANC members to discredit the new administration.
The ANC lost control of Joburg metro to the Democratic Alliance-led coalition arrangement following the August 3 Local Government Elections.
“Today’s protest was clearly organised by the ANC in a bid to derail Council proceedings. The blame must be put squarely at the feet of the ANC who assisted,” Mashaba said.
“The ANC Caucus left Council to address their members and then led them into the Council building where the ensuing havoc broke out. This violence is about preventing us from tabling our adjustment budget for the 2016/17 financial year.”
Mashaba said Council would continue whether it took all day and night.
DA Johannesburg regional chairperson, Khume Ramulifho, called the disruption of the Council “nothing less than undemocratic thuggery.”
ANC Joburg regional spokesperson, Jolidee Matonga, condemned the violent destruction of property, saying that all hell had broken loose when Mashaba refused to receive the memorandum from Jozi@Work employees.
– African News Agency (ANA)
