Msimanga blames TMPD chief for failing to stop council disruptions

City of Tshwane Mayor Solly Msimanga has accused the chief of Tshwane Metro Police Department‚ Steven Ngobeni‚ for failing to execute his duties during last week’s scuffle in the council chambers.

ANC councillors disrupted Msimanga’s state of the capital address last Thursday.

TMPD and SAPS entered the council hall twice to ask ANC councillors to leave the venue‚ but the councillors refused‚ stating that they were not being disruptive. The heated skirmishes continued‚ with other councillors joining in the fight.

“This came after his failure to act after being given lawful instructions to eject the disruptive ANC councillors from the chamber during a special sitting of council scheduled for the deliver of the SOCA‚” said Msimanga.

“This effectively meant that the chief of the TMPD‚ Steven Ngobeni‚ was barred from discharging his functions as police chief because of failure to act. Those powers have today been reinstated until such time as the executive mayor and the city manager decide on the way forward for the management of our law enforcement‚” said Msimanga.

He was speaking a press conference in Centurion on Tuesday.

The disruptions delayed Msimanga from delivering his state of the capital address for about five hours. When ANC councillors refused to leave the sitting‚ Speaker Katlego Mathebe adjourned it. Msimanga was able to address the guests from another room.