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The conduct of the ANC in the City of Tshwane council today, where the Mayor was due to deliver his State of the City address, must be condemned in the strongest terms, and represents sheer lawlessness from a party that has long abandoned democratic principles.

Since losing the City of Tshwane in the 2016 Elections, the ANC has done little other than undermine the processes of government, the sittings of Council and the applications of rules. It is a party bent on breaking the rules, and undermining democracy at every turn, from Jacob Zuma, to its councillors at Local level.

The people of Tshwane spoke loudly on 3 August 2016, and they voted the ANC out of government under clouds of deep-seated corruption, nepotism, wasteful expenditure and sheer mismanagement of the Metro. The ANC is yet to accept this clear expression of the will of the people.

Conduct which seeks to violently intimidate any person attending a council meeting, from officials to journalists, clearly shows contempt for democracy and the rule of law.

Today the ANC has again disgraced itself in Tshwane. The ANC clearly is unable to lawfully act as an opposition party.  Today their conduct, in the words of the ANC, was meant to be a “coup d’etat” which again shows their absolute intolerance for democracy.

The government of Mayor Solly Msimanga continues to make exemplary progress in delivery and righting the wrongs left by the ANC, and will not be deterred or intimidated by the ANC’s thuggery.

Indeed, despite their despicable effort to prevent the State of the Capital address from continuing, the Mayor is currently completing his address.

We have the work of the people to do in Tshwane, and we will never be deterred by violence.

Issued by DA