After months of uncertainty, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has finally appointed Siduduzo Gumede as the new Mayor of KwaDukuza Local Municipality.

Gumede, who is making a return to active politics, was sworn in on Friday after he was successfully elected in a special council meeting.

The municipality has been without a political head since the resignation of Mayor Ali Ngidi and his deputy Njabulo Cele. Attempts to elect Gumede failed a few weeks ago, following an apparent revolt by ANC councilors who were said to be unhappy with the party’s decision to bring him back.

The meeting was cancelled at the last minute and the ANC said it was because of Luthuli House’s intervention after the mother body reminded the provincial structure about interviews which first had to be conducted by the team of the National Working Committee.

However, sources within the municipality said the meeting was cancelled after the ANC leadership learned that there were 10 councillors who were going to boycott the meeting and this would have given the opposition an opportunity to take over. Gumede’s election was also further delayed by Ngidi’s apparent resistance to vacating his position despite being directed by the ANC to do so.

The DA fielded its caucus leader Privi Makhan to challenge Gumede, however, she was defeated  She welcomed the election of Gumede, saying he made a bold commitment to working with all political parties in order to improve the lives of the people of KwaDukuza, however, she said her party will continue to hold the ANC’s newly elected mayor to account.

“The ANC may have clung onto office today through the complicity of smaller parties, but their days of political music chairs in KwaDukuza are numbered,” said Makhan

Gumede is not new in KwaDukuza politics as he was the mayor for two terms before he was elevated to the mayoral position of Ilembe District Municipality.

Although the municipality has a new mayor, it will function without a  deputy mayor. The former mayor was unceremoniously ousted through a vote of no confidence in November last year after a fall out with then provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo. She faced six party charges, among them was defiance of the party’s directive to resign.

ANC regional task team coordinator Nkosenhle Mngadi said he was locked up in a regional general council and had not commented at the time of publication.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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