The ActionSA on Tuesday voted with the ANC and other smaller parties to keep the party in power in KwaDukuza municipality on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
The ANC’s Ali Ngidi, a 40-year-old councillor from Enkobongo, emerged victorious with 47 votes.
The election of Ngidi ended months of uncertainty caused by ANC factions vying for power, which also affected the municipality.
The instability brought service delivery to a grinding halt.
The ActionSA clarified that it supported the ANC’s motion in order to restore stability to the council.
We have not formed a coalition
“In today’s council meeting in the KwaDukuza local municipality, ActionSA made a bold decision to vote in favour of stability, aiming to bring order to a municipality that has long been plagued by chaos,” said ActionSA provincial chairperson Zwakele Mncwango.
Mncwango was, however, quick to point out that ActionSA’s support for the ANC’s mayor should not be misinterpreted as an alignment with the ANC.
“We have not formed a coalition agreement with the ANC. Instead, this decision was rooted in realism,” he said.
“The ANC, as the majority in the council, was in the position to ensure stability, and supporting a minority party candidate would only strengthen instability within the council.”
The Herman Mashaba-led formation gave the ANC support for the second time.
They did this in Tshwane, where Cilliers Brink, the DA mayor, was expelled.
Disagreement with provincial secretary
The KwaDukuza mayorship was left vacant after Lindiwe Nhaca was recalled due to a disagreement with ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo.
However, she refused to step down and did not go down easily.
Additionally, Nhaca brought the altercation to the party’s headquarters in Luthuli House, hoping that party boss Fikile Mbalula would step in.
Ngidi acknowledged that he had enormous work ahead of him.
He claimed that his goals were to put an end to political interference and keep politics and municipal administration apart.
“It is important for all of us, politicians and officials alike, to stick to our lanes. We must all put our hands on deck and make KwaDukuza great again,” said Ngidi.
KwaDukuza is among the top five municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal with a healthy budget.
