The Democratic Alliance (DA) has accused African National Congress (ANC) members of behaving like thugs and disobeying the Council Speaker at the City of Cape Town's first full council meeting of the year.
The trouble started on Wednesday when parties clashed over whether to rubber-stamp the demolition of several vacant homes in Plumstead to make way for the MyCiti bus project.
The DA decided to move the venue and ban ANC councillors after they started banging their hands on the desks.
Scuffles then broke out between security personnel, law enforcement officials and ANC councillors who attempted, but failed, to enter the new venue from which they had been barred.
The meeting was adjourned after all items were approved.
Listen to ANC Chief Whip (City of Cape Town Council) Xolani Sotashe and Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille give heated and wildly divergent explanations for the chaos that broke out on Wednesday.
Watch a video showing Wednesday’s fisticuffs as well as the accusations, denials and counteraccusations from the DA, ANC and others: