Durban Metro Police officers were helpless during a fight between the EFF and ANC over a R1.9 billion grant that was taken back to the treasury instead of fixing crumbling infrastructure in eThekwini.

The incident took place at a council meeting that was held at the Durban ICC.

Police were brought in by the Speaker to remove EFF councillors who were questioning senior officials about the grant.

The EFF councillors refused to be taken out of the council by the metro police officers and decided to fight back.

EFF KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Mazwi Blose said that the City Manager Musa Mbhele failed to spend the R1.9 billion conditional grants that were meant for infrastructure.

"As a result, the National Treasury has reduced the conditional grant to a mere R720.9 million," said Blose.

Blose said the City has a bad record of failing to spend conditional grants.

"The EFF in the council has consistently demanded practical plans on how the grant will be spent," he said.

"This grant is meant for our people's service delivery such as water, bridges, houses and other structure services."

ANC councillor Nkosenhle Madlala, Chairperson of the Governance and Human Capital Committee in Ethekwini Municipality said that the conditional grant was given to them very late when they had only three months left to end the financial year.

"We asked the National Treasury to roll over the grant to the new financial year. We were then given R720.9 million for the disaster which was approved on 19 October.

"We have written to Treasury for additional funds and we are still waiting for the response," said Madlala.

DA Caucus leader councillor Thabani Mthethwa said that the EFF and ANC coalition is failing the eThekwini residents.