The trouble-ridden eNdumeni local municipality with its seat in the KwaZulu-Natal rural town of Dundee on Tuesday afternoon elected 27-year-old Mcebo Mkhize, the IFP’s youth wing, as the new mayor.
Mkhize is dubbed “Imeya yama 90s” because of his age. The mayoral post became vacant following the unceremonious booting out of Siyabonga Ndlovu. His removal was masterminded by the Democratic Alliance, the IFP’s ally in the council.
Ndlovu saw his own caucus in the council calling a vote of no confidence against him.
He was also accused of gross incompetence in delivering on his duties and sleeping during crucial council meetings.
Election of mayor marred in controversy
The election of Mkhize to the powerful position was not without controversy. This after last week’s council meeting to elect him had to be adjourned amid fears. There were fears that a bomb had been planted inside the municipal premises. The hoax tip-off was apparently from an anonymous caller who threatened there would be mass deaths.
Mkhize becomes the youngest mayor in the province to occupy the high office.
The ANC, however, has made it clear that they will not support the election of Mkhize.
“We cannot ignore the utterances made by the former mayor, where he said the DA was paid R120, 000 in order to support him to stay on as mayor in the failed motion put forward by the ANC last year.
“What would have stopped the two parties from entering into the same arrangement? We ask again, albeit rhetorically, how much did it cost the IFP to buy the DA’s support this time around?” asked ANC’s regional secretary Lucky Khumalo.
A letter of grievance was addressed to the IFP’s national executive committee (NEC). The NEC is highest decision-making body of the party. In the letter, Ndlovu made starling claims. He said the IFP and DA’s governing pact was based on a corrupt relationship.
ANC not in support of the move
“The IFP advised us to keep our relationship smooth with the DA. But in 2022, the DA turned against us. And we had to bribe them with R100 to keep our coalition.
“In 2023, we gave them R120, 000, but they kept demanding more,” alleged Ndlovu in a letter that went viral on social media.
He also said they went as far as demanding VIP protection contracts in order to stay in the pact. They also wanted affluent areas of their constituencies to be prioritised for service delivery.
In the 13-seat council, both the DA and the IFP combined have a tally of seven seats. This while the ANC has five seats and the ABC has a single seat. The council also has not had a deputy mayor since 2021.
The IFP on Wednesday said the party was confident that Mkhize will steer the municipality out of the woods.
“We trust that he will steer eNdumeni Local Municipality towards progress and development. His dedication to public service and commitment to the well-being of young people are truly commendable. The IFP wishes mayor Mkhize all the best in his new role. And it looks forward to his contributions to the municipality’s growth and propensity,” the party said.
Politcs of stomach nothing more Or less.
DA is there to confuse balance of forces.
DA is opportunistic.