The Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) might approach this year’s local government elections leaderless and divided, as its infighting persists between its two senior leaders, Philani Mavundla and Bhungu Gwala, who are both claiming the party’s presidential position. 

Gwala, who claimed to have been elected by the elective conference in August 2023, has raised concerns that his party was unable to start campaigning because of an internal power struggle and the Pietermaritzburg High Court’s delay in ruling on who the legitimate leader is.

Gwala is engaged in a heated power struggle with former eThekwini Municipality deputy mayor, Mavundla, the founder of the party. 

Gwala claimed that after he was elected in 2023 as the president, Mavundla and his supporters refused to recognise him.

He said since his election, the party has been in and out of court as each faction fights for recognition. He said he was hoping that the Pietermaritzburg High Court would rule sooner on who is the legitimate leader.  

The Electoral Court in Bloemfontein ruled in November 2024 that Mavundla remained a leader and dismissed Gwala’s faction’s application with costs.

“This (infighting) will affect us because, without the court order, our party will remain paralysed and unable to start the campaign. 

“Whoever will be favoured by the court will not have enough time to campaign as other parties have already started their campaign,” he said. 

The party has dragged its two PR councillors in Umvoti, Hlukanisile Mkhize and Musawenkosi Phungula, to disciplinary action in October for failing to pay party levies and for failing to attend mandatory party councillors’ meetings in July and August.

Early last month, Umvoti Municipality erupted into chaos when ABC councillor, Mfundo Masondo, who sided with Mavundla, was kicked out of a council meeting after the municipality was informed by Gwala’s faction that he had been suspended from all party activities. 

According to Gwala, Mavundla is now in the political wilderness after he was suspended by the party for being absent from several party meetings. 

“They, including Mavundla, were summoned to the party’s disciplinary committee, and they did not come, and they were therefore suspended,” said Gwala.

According to an official document, in 2023, the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department in KwaZulu-Natal and the Umvoti Municipality received correspondence from the ABC regarding the expulsion of Mavundla and Masondo from the party. 

Mavundla approached the Pietermaritzburg High Court seeking an interdict against his expulsion, which was granted.

But Gwala’s faction again called Mavundla to another disciplinary hearing and fired him in absentia. 

Mavundla, according to Sabelo Sithole, the national chairperson of Gwala’s faction, went back to court to challenge his expulsion, and the case is still pending. 

Mavundla has not responded to the questions sent to him on Thursday. 

Despite having been removed from being the party’s councillor in Umvoti, Masondo attended a council meeting on December 11, where he was ejected by the speaker.

Masondo claimed to remain a councillor because he did not recognise his removal from the party.

Gwala said there was no clear leader of the party pending the court decision.

“He (Mavundla) claims to be the leader, but the truth is that I am the president of the party, who was elected in an elective conference,” he said. 

He said Masondo and Mavundla were expelled for running a parallel structure. 

“They were not following any rules, including an order to attend meetings,” said Gwala.

Masondo said that since 2023, the ABC had been hijacked by certain rogue elements. 

“We received court orders detailing who the legitimate leader is.

“After that, we also got a final order against the CoGTA MEC when he tried to illegally remove us as councillors.” 

He said Gwala continued with disruptive behaviour that began during his time as a member of the National Freedom Party.

“The leader of the ABC is Mavundla, but Gwala claims to be the president,” said Masondo.   

bongani.hans@inl.co.za 

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