The National Freedom Party (NFP) will finally remove its Nongoma Local Municipality corruption-tainted mayor, Mshangane Ndabandaba.

The party’s Acting Secretary-General, Sunset Xaba, said contrary to belief that the party was keeping the mayor despite facing serious corruption charges, it was seized with the matter and has taken a decision to remove him.

The mayor would have been removed long ago; however, the party caucus in the northern KwaZulu-Natal municipality wrote to the leadership and requested that they delay his removal to allow for a smooth transition, since there are decisions that the caucus still wants to make while the mayor remains in his position.

“We have made a decision that Mayor Ndabandaba must go, so we are busy processing his removal from office. We are in discussion with our caucus in the municipality for a smooth transition,” said Xaba.

Attempts to contact Ndabandaba were unsuccessful.

The mayor was arrested and charged alongside his Deputy Sabelo Nkosi (EFF) and ANC Speaker Babongile Sithole for fraud and corruption concerning a tender that was awarded by the municipality.

The trio was arrested in November last year, together with two senior officials and a businessman, who the State alleged was awarded the tender fraudulently to supply services to the municipality, allegedly by the accused. They are all out on bail.

The EFF has since fired Nkosi, but the ANC and NFP have kept their members in the positions. Despite having a step-aside rule that stipulates a member must immediately vacate their position after being criminally charged with serious allegations, the ANC has kept Sithole in her position.

This has led to the party being accused of being complicit in corruption in the municipality; however, the party recently dismissed that, saying it was still processing the Sithole matter.

The three parties are co-governing the rural municipality after no party managed to get enough majority to govern alone. In the 2021 local government elections, the NFP became the second largest party in the municipality after the IFP. 

When the IFP and the EFF collapsed, the NFP stepped in, working with the ANC and EFF to govern the rural municipality.

Meanwhile, the ANC in the province is expected to announce changes in the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, north of Durban.

The party is said to have taken a decision to remove its mayor, Ali Ngidi, following an internal probe over his conduct and allegations that have dominated the media since he was appointed in November.

ANC provincial spokesperson, Fanle Sibisi, refused to be drawn into discussing the matter except to say, the party’s investigation is in the final stages.

Attempts to get comment from Ngidi were also unsuccessful.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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