The KwaZulu-Natal ANC Youth League is in a bad spot after the taxing master ordered it to pay R322 000 to cover the expenses incurred by the DA-run Umngeni local municipality in October 2023 when the league organised an unlawful march against the municipality’s mayor, Chris Pappas.
The league marched on the basis of untrue and disparaging claims that Pappas, the municipality’s political leader, was involved in corrupt activities.
The accusations were later shown to be untrue following an investigation by the provincial department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, which cleared him.
But that came after the league, under the leadership of its former leader Mqondisi Duma, had insisted on the march, delivered a memorandum, and called for Pappas to step down as mayor.
During the same march, the league was made the target of a joke in which its members held large placards that read “Passas”, which is the incorrect spelling of Pappas’ surname.
The municipality had to spend money to increase security along the march route because it was afraid of chaos after some league members publicly threatened “mayhem” on social media. Among the measures was to hire private security companies.
After staging the march, the municipality compiled a bill of costs, which the taxing master pegged at R322 000.
League risks having its assets seized
The league would now be forced to make the payment or risk having its assets seized and put up for public auction to pay off the debt.
Sanele Hlongwa, the league’s provincial spokesperson, said they were not in office when the incident occurred and are unaware of the legal action in the taxing master’s office.
“Please be advised that the current provincial executive committee [PEC] was duly elected at the 10th Provincial Congress, which took place in February.
“Therefore, the incident you mentioned happened before we took office, according to Hlongwa.
“We would like to emphasise that since our election, neither the applicant in the court matter nor the court itself has served this PEC with any formal documentation or notice pertaining to the issue in question.
“In light of this, we are not in possession of any official information regarding the events or facts surrounding the matter you are seeking clarity on.
“Our understanding of the incident remains limited, and we therefore cannot comment meaningfully on its substance.”
