Durban - Independent councillors in eThekwini Municipality who broke ranks with the ANC to contest the local government elections say they are willing to step down.
The councillors said they would do this as part of efforts to heal the bitter rifts in the party following violent contesting during the divisive nomination process leading up to the elections.
ANC supporters and local government election candidates lost their lives in Inchanga, Ladysmith, Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg and Harding in pre-election violence.
The councillors gave the undertaking that they would co-operate as long as the ANC was prepared to bury the hatchet and restart the nomination process in preparation for by-elections in their various wards.
The ANC has deployed members of its national executive committee across the country to conduct public hearings to deal with problems that emanated from its nominations. The process is expected to be completed before the end of the month.
This weekend ANC treasurer Zweli Mkhize and Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor conducted hearings in Durban, listening to the grievances of aggrieved members.
The decision to extend the olive branch marks a drastic departure from party policy, which states that members who contest against the party should be expelled.
Leading up to the local government elections there was also extensive damage to property in Folweni, south of Durban, and KwaSithebe, on the North Coast.
Bongani Hlatshwayo, 38, Phillip Dlamini, 68, and Nontsikelelo Nkosi were shot and killed in Inchanga. As many as 42 people were arrested for the violence in the area. Four people were killed in Pietermaritzburg.
More than 200 ANC members stood as independents after they had accused the provincial leadership of having sidelined them during the nominations process. Only five were successful.
Councillors who are prepared to step down to give the healing process a chance are Malombo Nxumalo, of Ward 4 in Inchanga; Mthetheleli Sibisi of Ward 103 in Cliffdale; Thandanani Mabanga from Ward 107 in Ntuzuma; and Inanda, and Vusi Mbanjwa of Ward 12 in KwaNdengezi .
All four said they were still members of the party as they had not received letters of expulsion and were thus ready to serve the party.
Nxumalo, the cousin of former eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo, said he was ready to allow by-elections in his ward.
“It does not matter whether I get nominated, as long as the ANC allows all members to participate in the nomination process by stopping the gatekeeping,” he said.
“I don’t have a problem losing nominations. All I want is fairness, as this is not about the position, but giving people a voice,” he said.
When asked if he was prepared to make peace with the ANC, Sibisi said he was. He said he was prepared to step aside as he had been the alternate candidate for the community after the preferred candidate refused to contest against the ANC.
“My interest is to see leadership conducting processes in the right way,” said Mabanga.
“The problem is that the (nomination) processes were conducted contrary to the ANC constitution,” he said.
“This matter cannot only be resolved by the ANC because it cannot commit an offence and expect to be the judge in the same matter. This matter needs other alliance partners to get justice done,” he said.
ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma said the provincial executive committee had set up a team to assist the ANC in the hearings.
He could only say the ANC was engaging with independent councillors.
University of KZN political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu described the independents’ decision as “interesting”.
“This speaks to their original concerns that there was no fairness in selecting candidates for the ANC.
“At the end of the day they know that outside the ANC the chances of making it are very slim.
“It is just a five-year term, so they are looking beyond. Going back to the ANC is the only viable option,” said Ndlovu.
The Mercury