Tshwane council meeting comes to halt as EFF member is ejected

ANC and EFF councillors broke into a song after speaker Katlego Mathebe asked an EFF councillor to leave the chambers in a which a special council meeting is taking place.

EFF councillor Obakeng Ramabodu was asked to leave the meeting after walking up to Mathebe attempting to hand her the council's rules and orders booklet.This came after council had just resumed around lunch following an hour-long caucus break as parties fail to find each other on the sequence of items on the agenda and Mathebe presiding over the meeting.

ANC chief whip Aaron Maluleka's suggestion for an official from CoGTA to address all parties on the disagreement over Mathebe presiding over the meeting and the sequence of how the motions would be discussed.

Mathebe told the meeting that CoGTA (department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs) cannot come to Tshwane and interfere in the council meeting.

"I have the responsibility to preside over this meeting," Mathebe said.

Ramabodu then stood from his seat and walked up to Mathebe with the yellow rules and orders booklet in his hand and attempted to hand it over to the speaker.Mathebe ordered him out of the house, sparking protests from both the EFF and ANC benches.

They screamed and dared Mathebe to call security people because Ramabodu will not leave the house. They both broke into a song as Ramabodu remained in council, forcing the meeting to come to what looks like a temporary halt.

Mathebe told councillors that she's not going to proceed with the meeting until Ramabodu is removed. The EFF and the ANC have called the special sitting to discuss motions of no confidence against Mathebe and mayor Stevens Mokgalapa, among others.