The KwaDukuza Local Municipality is expected to hold another special council meeting to elect a mayor and deputy following the last minute cancellation of a meeting last week.

The ANC regional task team coordinator Nkosenhle Mngadi said the reason for the cancellation was because of Luthuli House’s intervention which reminded the provincial structure about interviews which first had to be conducted by the team of the National Working Committee. Mngadi said the party’s Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, called them and asked them to hold the appointment because it would be unprocedural to choose a mayor and deputy without due process being followed, including interviewing the candidates.

“I think it was an oversight from our side. We committed the process of interviewing the candidates which is now an ANC policy for the appointment of all mayors of ANC-led municipalities. Our SG called to remind us so we are waiting for him to let us know which NWC members will conduct the interviews. We expect these to be completed by Wednesday so that the Speaker convenes a special meeting on Friday,” said Mngadi.

However, a reliable source within the party said the real reason behind the postponement was that senior ANC leaders had questioned the recommendation to bring back former mayor Lindiwe Nhaca, whom the regional leadership wanted as deputy mayor. The Source said senior leaders argued that Nhaca brought the party into disrepute when she defied former provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo’s instruction to resign as  mayor last year. Her defiance forced the ANC to remove her through a vote of no confidence.

“We heard that they did not want her back even as a deputy mayor as she defied the party’s instruction to voluntarily resign. This embarrassed the ANC since it was forced to file a motion to remove her through a vote of no confidence – the leaders viewed such behaviour as an embarrassment,” said the source.

Nhaca who is now a back bencher PR councillor was unceremoniously kicked out of her mayoral position in November last year by Mtolo. However, in a surprise move, her name was forwarded to the provincial’s deployment committee as a mayorial candidate alongside former Ilembe district Municipality mayor Siduduzo Gumede and current KwaDukuza Speaker Dolly Govender. Attempts to get comment from Nhaca were unsuccessful.

On July 2,  ANC provincial task team coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu summoned the party caucus, where he presented the report and the recommendations of the team that the party had appointed in April to investigate the reported abuse of privileges by both mayor Ali Ngidi and  his deputy Njabulo Cele. 

Besides removing the pair from their positions, the ANC also ordered them to pay back the money they splurged on luxury vehicles since assuming office in November without council approval.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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