video still
A bizarre scene unfolded during a Nelson Mandela Bay special council meeting on Friday when the Speaker was forcefully removed from a chamber in City Hall.
A video of the incident shows three men entering the Council Chamber and appear to force Speaker Buyelwa Mafaya out of the room, with one man seen shoving a woman on the way out.
Chaos then erupted with one person heard saying that the police should be called.
The incident happened as the last Council meeting of the year was about to begin deliberations on electing a permanent mayor, one of the main items on the agenda held over from several previous adjourned meetings and also the subject of a court order.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality said it was shocked and dismayed at the developments involving the Speaker.
In a brief statement, the Metro said the matter was reported to the police and that the Speaker was making "making medical consultations."
It was reported that she "logged" into the meeting from the hospital and adjourned the meeting, saying that would open a case with police later.
DA mayoral candidate, Nqaba Bhanga, however, said the incident was stage-managed, alleging in a video that the men who were involved included Mafaya's bodyguard and a bodyguard of former ANC councillor, Andile Lungisa, who was recently released from prison on parole.
The DA mayoral candidate said the whole thing was staged to prevent democracy from going ahead.
"What has happened in this City Hall is an embarrassment," he said.
(view the video at https://www.facebook.com/AlgoaFMNews)
