The Congress of the People in Louis Trichardt is accusing the Speaker of the Makhado Municipality of denying its councillors an opportunity to express themselves during council meetings.

In a statement this week, Cope's regional chairperson, Mr Geoffrey Tshibvumo, accused the Speaker, Mr David Mutavhatsindi, of harassing and intimidating Cope councillors in council. He added that Mutavhatsindi failed to adhere to and enforce council rules with regard to the nomination of ward committee members. He also abuses the powers of the Speaker to intimidate opposition members, expel council members from duly constituted settings of council and thwart debate and discussion on predetermined agenda items.

He further states that on numerous occasions the Speaker has allowed complete changes in the executive committee recommendations at council meetings "to an extent that new motions are adopted without testing them against recommendations from Exco."

The speaker, David Mutavhatsindi, denied the allegations and said that if councillors had questions, they should direct them to Council and not the media, in terms of the standing rules and orders. "We have taken all councillors to an induction so as to ensure that all councillors understand how Council runs, but it seems as if Cope councillors did not learn anything. Tshibvumo is out of order. The man is not even a councillor at the Makhado Municipality; no wonder he does not understand," he said.