KZN PREMIER Sihle Zikalala thought he was at the council meeting to address the councillors.
But angry members would not let him speak and showed him the door.
“AKAPHUME LONA, PHUMA! THIS ONE MUST LEAVE!” A COUNCILLOR IS SEEN SHOUTING.
Premier Zikalala had to be shielded by his bodyguards when he was prevented from speaking at an inaugural council meeting of the Umkhanyakude Municipality in northern KZN.
A video of Zikalala being insulted by the angry councillors trended on social media.
It is not clear what triggered the angry attack, but Umkhanyakude is heavily contested by the IFP and the ANC. In 2016, the ANC won the municipality and Solomon Mkhombo was the mayor. But in March this year, ANC mayor Mkhombo was taken out with vote of no confidence. Then IFP mayor Tim Moodley took over until Monday when the ANC again won the municipality in the council meeting.
During the heated verbal showdown, a councillor is seen banging the table in front of the premier and pointing fingers at him, demanding that he must leave the arena where the meeting was taking place.
Another councillor is heard shouting: “We don’t trust you, leave now!”
The unnamed programme director eventually gives in to the demands. “The premier will no longer speak, okay,” the director said.
In the video Zikalala can be seen walking away with guards. It’s believed that the rowdy councillors are from the IFP.
IFP spokesman Mkhuleko Hlengwa said: “If our report shows that the IFP councillors caused chaos, we will deal with the matter.”
ANC spokesman Nhlakanipho Ntombela said they heard about the incident, but didn’t have any information yet.
Meanwhile, head of the KZN provincial government, Lennox Mabaso, said it was not factual to say Zikalala was chased away.
“A few councillors who have been rowdy since the beginning of the meeting continued to be disruptive and noisy,” said Mabaso.
Mabaso said the premier left the podium and went to his seat. “It is unfortunate that this one-sided interpretation is being given out of context. We reject the conclusion that the Premier was chased.”
By Monday afternoon, the ANC was able to get its former mayor, Mkhombo, elected as speaker and Mandla Ndlela of the ANC elected as mayor.
