Mayor depends on Matatiele KZN return

Mayor of the Ekurhuleni metro in Gauteng, Mzwandile Masina. File picture: Bongiwe Mchunu/The Star

Mayor of the Ekurhuleni metro in Gauteng, Mzwandile Masina. File picture: Bongiwe Mchunu/The Star

Published Jan 25, 2017

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Johannesburg - The future of Ekurhuleni Metro Mayor Mzwandile Masina depends on whether ANC members in the Eastern Cape agree that Matatiele should be reincorporated into KwaZulu-Natal.

This was the latest agreement reached by the ANC and African Independent Congress (AIC) following their five-person each meeting, which was held at Mount Ayliff in the Eastern Cape yesterday.

The AIC, which had earlier threatened to pull out of the coalition agreement it reached with the ANC in Ekurhuleni and Rustenburg in North West, appeared upbeat yesterday that their demand for the reincorporation of Matatiele would be finalised before March 15.

On August 14, the AIC entered into a coalition agreement with the ANC in Ekurhuleni after the party failed to secure an outright majority after the August 3 local government elections.

Due to that coalition agreement, as well as support from other parties such as the PAC, Patriotic Alliance (PA) under Gayton McKenzie, and Independent Ratepayers Association, the metro was retained by the ANC. However, Masina’s capacity to remain mayor was totally dependent on the Eastern Cape and KZN agreeing to the AIC’s condition that Matatiele be reincorporated into KZN.

The reincorporation was the reason for the birth of the AIC in December 2005, and its first participation and great showing in the

2006 local government elections, where it secured 14 seats in local municipalities in the Eastern Cape and KZN.

In the 2009 national elections the AIC secured its maiden seat in the Eastern Cape provincial legislature, also using the Matatiele issue as its rallying call.

Their numbers grew when the party won three seats in Parliament in the 2014 national elections.

The issue of Matatiele also took centre stage during the August 3 local government elections, but now AIC secretary-general Steve Jafta believes that the hurdle will be removed.

“We are still positive about the reincorporation of Matatiele into KZN following our meeting (yesterday),” Jafta said.

ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa did not confirm the details of what Jafta said, but said their meeting was cordial.

Political Bureau

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