Durban - The former mayor of uMhlathuze Municipality, Elphas Mbatha, has spoken about his sacking last year, claiming he was recalled by the ANC because of his stand against corruption.
Mbatha alleged this week that the then secretary and current chairman of the ANC in KZN, Sihle Zikalala, conspired with Thulani Mashaba, chairman of the Musa Dladla region (the second-biggest after eThekwini), also deputy mayor of uMhlathuze, who died last year in a car crash, to orchestrate his demise.
They allegedly “forced” him to resign, and convinced him that he would be redeployed once he had done so because they couldn’t deploy him while still mayor. He complied.
More than a year later, he is unemployed and wants the promise fulfilled or he will take the ANC to court. Mbatha has sought legal advice. The Sunday Tribune has seen a letter he wrote last month to his lawyer about his axing.
This week Mbatha said: “I’m left with no other option. I have been waiting for about a year for the Provincial Executive Committee to redeploy me as Zikalala had promised, but nothing has happened. Instead, he doesn’t take my calls.
“I was forced to resign because I was bold in dealing with corruption. I couldn’t watch while taxpayers’ money was being plundered.”
He was replaced by former speaker Mduduzi Mhlongo.
Mbatha alleged that the ANC in the region pulled strings behind the scenes and wanted to channel tenders to their pals, who failed to do the work. “It was unacceptable that the municipality failed to provide 5Â000 toilets for residents. Not even one was built last year, but tenders were given out. And they expected me to sit back and watch.
“I expressed my concerns about the failure, caused by giving tenders to people aligned with ANC leaders.”
He said if Zikalala and Mashaba had not duped him, he wouldn’t have resigned because there were no grounds for him to do so.
His axing has also caused a financial strain on his family as he claims that he has lost close to R1Âmillion in wages and allowances.
“It’s unfortunate the ANC that we fought for has become a vehicle for certain people to accumulate wealth at the expense of the poor people,” he said. “I have become a laughing stock. People are asking what happened because they see me every day at home.”
Mbatha said he had exhausted all internal avenues without success. He claimed that he lodged a complaint with the party’s appeals committee but yielded no fruits. He conceded that his chances of being redeployed were slim. “Sometimes I feel as if I’m fighting a losing battle, but I will fight nevertheless. I say this because I see some other comrades being purged from the party,” he said.
Mbatha is part of the mayors who were claimed to be backing premier Senzo Mchunu in the provincial elective conference in November last year, which saw Zikalala ascend as provincial chairman, unseating Mchunu. Mbatha said even Mchunu knew about his ordeal but his hands were “tied” as the Zikalala camp were the ones calling the shots.
Responding, secretary of the Musa Dladla region, Tholi Gwala said: “Yes, he was recalled because his relationship with ANC councillors had become fraught. We were committed to redeploying him because of his experience but he turned down our offer. He said he didn't want anything to do with uMhlathuze anymore.”
Gwala brushed aside claims the regional leadership interfered in council matters.
Mchunu said he was aware of Mbatha’s grievance, “but rather talk to provincial leadership about the issue”, he said.
Zikalala could not be reached for comment, but party spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli defended the ANC, saying: “He was deployed by the ANC as mayor and when the ANC decided to recall him there was no problem about that. He was not born as mayor, it was the ANC that deployed him.”
He leapt to the defence of Zikalala and Mashaba, saying they did not conspire to axe Mbatha, but it was the decision of the ANC.
“There’s no court that will tell us who we must deploy to where. So he can go to court if that is what he wants,” he said.
Sunday Tribune