Good councillor denies he told EFF councillor to ‘voetsek’ in council

Good party councillor Lawrence Troon has refuted claims he told an EFF female councilor to “go voetsek” during a council meeting at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality on Tuesday.

The meeting, which was set to remove the municipal mayor Gary van Niekerk, collapsed following an altercation between the Good party and the EFF.

EFF councillor Khanya Ngqisha said Troon swore at one of their female councilors during the meeting.  

“He said ‘hamba, go voetsek’ as if chasing her away like a dog. That’s when I intervened, and an altercation ensued.

“The councillor is very disorderly and doesn’t obey the rules of the house; in every council meeting, he does this.

“The Speaker needs to be firm, gain control of the house and make an example of Troon,” he said. 

Good party motion of no confidence against the mayor

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The Good party in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality filed a motion to remove the mayor, saying he was not fit to hold office.

Ngqisha said allegations against Van Niekerk were without merit, and the party would vote against his removal. 

“The motion holds no water; it is just a narrative that is not accompanied by factual evidence. The EFF is going to vote against it,” he said.

Troon denied the claims that he swore at an EFF councillor on Wednesday. 

“I did not use any profanity. I merely said she must ‘bugger-off’. She was being very rude and trying to speak over me.

“I did not utter the word ‘voetsek’. If I did, the Speaker would have told me to withdraw,” he said. 

Mayor not fit to hold office

Troon said they filed a motion against mayor Van Niekerk as he was not fit to hold the office. 

“He was never supposed to be in office in the first place. He has used municipal vehicles for his personal use. He would ride around the vehicle over the weekends.

“He has damaged four municipal vehicles at the expense of the municipality since he came to office,” he said. 

Troon said the mayor also took a costly trip to China last year without municipal approval. 

 “He said he was there on an investment summit, but this was never brought to council,” he said.

Van Niekerk dismissed Troon’s claims, saying he was making the claims after he removed him as a mayoral committee member.

Another date for the council meeting has not been confirmed yet.

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