Criminal charges after speaker allegedly assaults female councillor

The speaker of the Ga-Segonyana local municipality in the Northern Cape‚ the ANC’s Tuelo Meyers‚ faces assault charges after an alleged physical altercation with a female opposition councillor.

The charges were laid by the DA after Thursday’s meeting of the council‚ which serves Kuruman and surrounding areas‚ ended in chaos.

The meeting was held to discuss the position of the municipal manager‚ Edward Ntefang‚ who is currently being investigated by the Hawks for fraud charges‚ but ANC councillors want to extend his contract.

According to DA Northern Cape leader Andrew Louw‚ the speaker of the council‚ Tuelo Meyers‚ did not want to give the DA a chance to speak during the debate.

“After the debate was adjourned‚ DA councillor Lea Nelson approached Meyers to ask what was happening‚ as the proceedings were conducted in Setswana‚ which she does not follow.

“The speaker became physically violent‚ shoved his finger against her nose and punched her against the shoulder so hard that she had to step back. He also threw an object at her.

“DA councillor Willie Aucamp had to intervene to prevent the Speaker from assaulting her further‚” said Louw‚ who pointed out that a DA councillor had been assassinated in the neighbouring council last year.

Aucamp confirmed to the Sunday Times that assault charges were laid at the Kuruman police station‚ adding that the council had agreed to appoint a commission of inquiry into the matter.

An EFF councillor had made a video of the conclusion of the attack‚ said Aucamp.

When the Sunday Times spoke to Meyers on Sunday‚ he refused to comment and terminated the conversation.