WATCH: Maimane tells ANC heckler not to ‘disrespect’ him

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane on Monday took issue with a African National Congress (ANC) councillor who heckled his campaign address.

WATCH HERE:

Speaking at Port Elizabeth’s City Hall‚ Maimane stated that the level of unemployment in South Africa is bad‚ and that Nelson Mandela Bay is supposed to be a region that creates jobs.

The DA press conference was interrupted by ANC councillor Lawrence Troon‚ who claimed that he had “eight affidavits from the former farm workers of Athol Trollip”.

A visibly annoyed Maimane said: “Hey‚ hey‚ chief‚ don’t come and disrespect me here.”

Prior to the interruptions‚ Maimane said the Bay’s executive mayor‚ Danny Jordaan‚ is not taking job creation in this city seriously‚ and he claimed that he is scared to travel overseas because he could be arrested.

This latter was a reference to the Fifa bribery scandal and claims made about suspicious payments made before SA hosted the 2010 World Cup.

“We need to provide decent services; we need leadership that takes that seriously‚” Maimane said.

“If you want a job‚ vote for the DA; if you don’t want a job or basic services‚ then vote for the ANC.”

Maimane’s heckler on Monday appeared to be repeating allegations about the treatment of workers on the Bedford farm of Trollip‚ the DA’s mayoral candidate.

In March‚ ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa’s called “on the Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to investigate and act on these allegations and get to the bottom without delay”.

Kodwa said at the time: “It is…disturbing that some of these allegations border on outright racism where people are likened to ‘baboons’.”

Trollip dismissed those allegations‚ saying: “Having sold my family farm in 2005‚ the timing of these false allegations is suspicious‚ months prior to an election.

“These false allegations are obviously as a result of the ANC’s increasing vulnerability and weakness.” – Tiso Black Star Group Digital/The Herald