It is official, former eThekwini Metro deputy mayor and Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) President Philani Mavundla has made a dramatic come back to the domestic politics, this time as the new mayor of uMvoti local municipality.
The council covers the small rural town of Greytown and other rural areas and it is part of Umzinyathi District municipality.
In a marathon meeting on Wednesday that lasted way into the night, Mavundla was sworn in as the uMvoti mayor, stripping off the mayoral chain from IFP’s Gab Malembe. In fact, the IFP, who once governed the council, suffered a heavy defeat, losing all key positions including that of speaker and deputy mayor – relegating the party to the opposition benches.
ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo wasted no time accusing the IFP of using frivolous court processes to stall the election of new office bearers after a vote of no confidence against IFP’s leadership cohorts.
“By and large, the lack of accountability and maladministration are the main causes of severe deterioration in good governance in various municipalities under the IFP,” said Mtolo.
Following frosty relations between the IFP and the ABC, their marriage of convenience failed spectacularly. The ABC, as the kingmaker in council, subsequently switched allegiance to the ANC, whom it had earlier declared its sworn enemy.
The new arrangement means the ANC was rewarded with deputy mayor and council whip positions, while the IFP goes home empty-handed. The ABC bagged the mayorship and speaker positions.
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