Durban — The wheels of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) are grinding and have led to the fall of the EFF’s Sne Chili following her removal as the speaker of Maphumulo Local Municipality.
The expectation now was that the ANC would forge ties with the IFP and co-govern the municipality in line with the GPU and Government of National Unity (GNU) power deals.
Long-time ANC member Simphiwe Shange was elected as the speaker after Chili was removed through a vote of no confidence.
Reacting to this election, Shange said: “We have removed the EFF as we have cut ties with the party. We couldn’t continue our two-year working arrangement with them.”
The municipality – under the iLembe District – was co-governed by an IFP-EFF coalition after failing to get an outright winner during the 2021 local government elections.
However, that partnership came crashing down in February last year after EFF leader Julius Malema abruptly cut coalition deals with the IFP.
Following Malema’s instruction, the EFF switched loyalties and backed the ANC to govern the municipality early last year.
This power deal – which has since ended – saw the ANC’s Matozi Khuzwayo-Dlamini taking the mayor position while the EFF’s Chili was elected as speaker.
The ANC-EFF coalition had 12 seats of the 23 council seats, while the IFP had 11.
But now, the tables have turned against the EFF after the ANC and the IFP teamed up to unseat Chili.
Said Shange: “We will now look for new partners. But my role as the speaker is to make sure the council is run well so all decisions we take positively impact the downtrodden.
“Her removal (Chili) is a new beginning for the municipality and the people of Maphumulo.”
The ousted EFF’s Chili said, “The ANC and IFP ganged up to vote me out, but I can tell now that their relationship will not last.”
She said the council meeting where she was removed as speaker was allegedly marred by administrative errors.
“That council meeting was not constitutional. It was a flawed meeting, but the ANC did everything in its power to remove me from the speaker position.
“The ANC and the IFP wanted to remove me by hook or by crook. There was no basis for my removal whatsoever. I will continue to serve the people of Maphumulo as we look ahead to the local government elections in 2026.”
Party leaders from the ANC and EFF exchanged physical blows during the council meeting that sealed the fate of Chili last week.
In May, Chili had to be whisked away from angry community members after her official vehicle fatally knocked down a pedestrian in Kranskop, in the north of the province.
The stability of the GPU and its mother body, the GNU, have at times been threatened in KwaZulu-Natal and nationally.
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