The DA has filed a motion of no confidence (MONC) against eThekwini Speaker Thabani Nyawose, accusing him of shielding the ANC councillor accused of racism, and referred the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for investigation.
The incident, where an alleged ANC councillor shouted, “Go back to Bombay!” has sparked outrage, with the DA leading a march in Durban on Monday, calling for non-racialism and unity following the racial slur directed at the party’s councillor Yogis Govender during a council meeting.
Addressing marchers outside Durban City Hall, DA provincial leader Francois Rodgers criticized the ANC for shielding the alleged councillor responsible for the racial slur.
“The sun is setting on the ANC. They will never recover in KwaZulu-Natal,” said Rogers.
“You remember when we went to the elections in May, we said we were to bring the ANC to below 50%. We didn’t bring them to below 50%, we brought them to a dismal 17% (in KwaZulu-Natal).”
DA eThekwini caucus leader Thabani Mthethwa described the slur as an affront to South Africa’s values of equality and unity.
“This divisive and hurtful attack is not just an insult to Councillor Govender but to the entire Indian community. There must be accountability,” said Mthethwa.
“To hold the Speaker of eThekwini to account for protecting the offending Councillor from a full investigation, the DA has now filed a motion of no confidence in the Speaker of council because no other method to get the Speaker to act has succeeded.”
The DA has also referred the matter to the SAHRC for investigation.
“This awful slur, shouted out in a Council meeting, against a councillor of Indian origin, was heard by many as coming from the ANC benches and yet one month later, the ANC have done nothing to identify the culprit,” said Mthethwa.
“We see the Speaker and all ANC councillors as complicit in protecting this person who made the derogatory, divisive, and discriminatory comments, and it is time for this protection to come to an end.”
INSIDE METROS