By Umamah Bakharia

Eight Johannesburg councillors face charges for what DA leader John Steenhuisen has called a “descent into chaos” at the first council meeting for 2022 where elections were disrupted after some attendees voiced that the voting system was incorrect.

The ANC-EFF objected to holding elections by a show of hands. They insisted that secret ballots be cast, however, ActionSA’s John Moodey argued that the Municipal Structures Act made provision for elections through a show of hands and that only the positions of Executive Mayor, Speaker and Chief Whip of the council were done by secret ballot.

Radio Islam spoke to Action SA’s Gauteng chairperson, John Moodey, on the council meeting elections.

“The ANC went into the chamber with the belief that they would have the numbers to be able to elect themselves and the EFF and other smaller minorities into positions [such as] chairpersons [which is] 17 positions in total,” says Moodey.

FF Plus leader Pieter Groenewald condemned the behaviour of ANC and EFF councillors, who were allegedly behind the collapse of the meeting.

He said Ramaphosa should bring his members into line even though the incident took place at a regional level.

“There is a responsibility on the president. It is his members, his party. He cannot distinguish between local, regional or national,” he said.