Name-change debate gets ugly

2008-10-03 08:21

Pretoria - Two Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) councillors were ordered to leave a City of Tshwane meeting on Thursday after objecting to the name change of several streets in Pretoria, the party said.

FF Plus spokesperson Conrad Beyers said he, together with Cornelius Jansen van Rensburg, had objected to the renaming of 27 streets in Pretoria when they were chased out of the council meeting.

"This indicates the intolerance of the ANC as soon as opposition to their abuses are registered," said Beyers in a statement.

He said he and Jansen van Rensburg were instructed to leave by Speaker Korombi Dau because they had referred to the ANC as "acting like a terrorist organisation through attempting to sabotage street names".

The party also expressed disappointment with the Democratic Alliance which asked that disciplinary action be taken against them.

Name change issue 'inappropriately raised'

City spokesperson Console Tleane said during the meeting the party inappropriately raised the name change issue while council was discussing reports relating to the naming of a clinic and library in Ga-Rankuwa.

"Despite the irrelevance at the time the Speaker allowed parts of the debate to continue.

"When making his remarks councillor Beyers made the remark to the effect that it is wrong to want to replace some names with the names of murderers and terrorists," said Tleane.

He said council as well as the Speaker requested Beyers to withdraw his comment.

"The Speaker, supporting by all parties, ordered him to leave the Council Chambers, on the basis of the language that he used," said Tleane.

Tleane said that Jansen van Rensburg also reiterated comment made by Beyers, refused to withdraw the statement and then left of his own accord.

"Council unanimously passed a motion that the behaviour of the two councillors be sent to the Ethics Committee for investigation," said Tleane.

- SAPA