The DA in the metro warned the executive mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele, ahead of the monthly council meeting, to cease being patronising and sexist towards women.<\/p>\n
DA shadow MMC for community safety, Mich\u00e9le Clarke, said she was appalled by the mayor’s description of her during last month’s meeting.<\/p>
He is said to have described Clarke as “fragile” and having a “mothering attitude” to the EMPD.<\/p>\n
The DA views these comments as sexist in the extreme and was led to ask if the mayor could spot the irony in his statement.<\/p>
“At the last meeting the ANC spent a good part of its speaking time lecturing the house on women’s quotas, women’s rights and the importance of women in what was Women’s Month,” said Clarke.<\/p>\n
“Then, minutes later, the mayor’s actions showed every woman present at the meeting the ANC’s true colours.<\/p>\n
“Every contemptuous remark aimed at DA women should have hit at the heart of women across the floor, even the female members of the ANC.”<\/p>\n
Gungubele also implied that Clarke should not compliment some units within the EMPD, while she was commenting that the chief of police is a weak leader.<\/p>\n
“However, success achieved by certain units within the EMPD deserves high praise; the dedicated officers who work within those units have strong senior police leadership and if the police chief was a convincing leader, there would be more well-run units within the EMPD,” said Clarke.<\/p>\n
“Even ruling party members on the community safety oversight committee are critical of the police chief’s arrogance and lack of leadership.<\/p>\n
“Clr Gungubele should take a moment to listen to the opinions of the members of his very own party.<\/p>\n
“He should stop lecturing the DA on political history and shift his focus to the severe lack of service delivery within the metro.<\/p>\n
“His patronising manner and attempts at humour at the opposition’s expense do nothing to divert attention from the real issues.”<\/p>\n