What was meant to be a meeting to hear the plight of a community degenerated into a shouting match when irate residents vented their fury and chased away a DA official for late arrival.
An estimated 200 residents from NU30 Motherwell had started gathering at the Alex Matikinca Hall at 4pm in preparation for the integrated development plan (IDP) meeting that was scheduled to be addressed by mayoral committee member for infrastructure and engineering, Masixolo Zinto.
They claimed Zinto was due to address the community at 5pm, but only arrived at 6pm.
Zinto met some irate residents at the gate, who said they were “tired of waiting for people who have no respect for us who voted them into power”.
A 39-year-old woman, who did not want to be named, said the much-anticipated community meeting did not take place.
“As you can see, the DA official who was supposed to address us has just arrived.
“We have been waiting here since 4pm. Now we are leaving.
“There were lots of people who came to hear him speak.”
Inside the hall, tempers flared as a group of women shouted at Zinto, who was accompanied by an unidentified official – telling them to leave.
It was at this stage that the lights were switched off as Zinto was escorted out by metro police.
Last night, Zinto said that apparently community members had been informed earlier by loud-hailer that the meeting would start at 5pm.
“It’s very unfortunate. The IDP is for the ordinary people to express their views.
“But people wearing ANC regalia insisted the meeting won’t take place because ANC councillors were at City Hall.”