Cape Town – The City of Cape Town’s council meeting turned chaotic as members of the EFF disrupted Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis’s speech with posters demanding the removal of Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith.
Law enforcement officers were called in to remove the disruptive EFF members, leading to further tension.
EFF members held up banners reading “JP Smith must fall”, News24 reported.
Opposition parties also joined in, demanding the release of impounded minibus taxis and accusing Smith of responsibility.
Down with JP Smith
EFF showing flames to Geordin Hill and JP Smith pic.twitter.com/6rP4cUJXzM
— 🍎 Jenna 🇿🇦 🇷🇺 (@jenna_original) August 24, 2023
DA members protected Smith as the situation escalated.
Eventually, the meeting was moved to a different location, and opposition parties were locked out.
In recent weeks, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) orchestrated an eight-day strike in objection to the City’s practice of impounding numerous vehicles due to a variety of violations.
Taxi leaders argue that the drivers at fault should have received fines as opposed to having their vehicles confiscated.
The strike was clouded by uncertainty regarding whether the metropolitan authority was executing a City-specific by-law to impound the vehicles or if the confiscations were conducted based on stipulations outlined in the National Land Transport Act.
Democratic Alliance manhandling an EFF Councillor Lungiswa Ntshuntshe in the @CityofCT for calling for the immediate resignation of JP Smith and asking for the DA to stop the unjust impounding of taxis.
EFF in Cape Metro will lay a Criminal charge against the DA for GBV! pic.twitter.com/yuQ3b0msTm
— EFF_Cape_Metro (@EFF_Cape_Metro) August 24, 2023
EFF Councillors in Cape Metro have taken it to the City of Cape Town to fight against the illegal and unjust taxi impoundment that seeks to kill black businesses.
They have further called for the immediate resignation of the @Our_DA JP Smith who has blood on his hands. pic.twitter.com/daLnfECSxg
— EFF_Cape_Metro (@EFF_Cape_Metro) August 24, 2023
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Source: AFP
Picture: Twitter/@EFF_Cape_Metro
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