Alfred Duma Local Municipality mayor Zama J Sibisi. Picture: Facebook
Durban — In its drive to seize power from the IFP in hung municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, the new ANC-EFF coalition is setting its sights on Alfred Duma municipality in a motion against the mayor on Wednesday.
ANC spokesperson in uKhahlamba region Bheki Khanyile told the Daily News the ANC was ready to reclaim power in the former Mnambithi local municipality, which the party ran for years until the IFP won it in the November 2021 local government election.
Khanyile said although the numbers were tight, he was hoping councillors would put the interest of citizens first and vote with their conscience rather than party directives.
“We understand councillors take the mandate from their leaders who have not even set their foot in Ladysmith, so those may have no interest of the citizens at heart since they do not personally know the challenges faced by the people where their coalition partner, the IFP is in charge,” said Khanyile.
The motion against the mayor was filed by National People’s Assembly councillor Nathi Mthethwa, seconded by NFP councillor Bonisiwe Biyela.
ANC councillor Lindiwe Kubheka has filed against the speaker, while the EFF’s Lwazi Nkosi would present and motivate against the deputy mayor’s removal.
Although the EFF has helped the IFP to govern the municipality, the IFP kept all the senior positions. In the 73-seat council, the IFP has 33 and the ANC 28, while the EFF came third with five seats. The DA got three seats, and the NFP, NPA, African People’s Movement and Philani Mavundla’s Abantu Batho Congress got one each.
With the DA and ABC in the IFP corner, it looks like the IFP will survive with 37 votes against 36, unless some councillors among the IFP-led councillors use their conscience, as happened in Zululand.
An NFP councillor, Berthwel Nxumalo, rescued the IFP when he openly defied his own party position and used his conscience to vote with the IFP.
NPA councillor Mthethwa, who has been critical of IFP leadership since taking over in 2021, said he was hopeful their new coalition under the ANC would celebrate after the special council meeting. Had Mavundla’s relationship with ANC not soured, the ANC-led coalition was guaranteed victory in Alfred Duma.
In its media briefing recently, IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said his party had no sleepless nights and was not worried about the EFF and ANC coalition, arguing that his party’s calculations showed the IFP would only lose KwaMaphumulo and uMhlabuyalingana local municipalities.
These are two poor rural municipalities with revenue collection issues and solely depend on government grant funding, so losing them would be no big deal.
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