Durban - More than a month after the country’s local government elections, KwaZulu-Natal’s far northern Jozini Local Municipal council elected its officer bearers on Friday.
The mayor and the deputy mayor were voted in with a clear majority, while there was a tie for the deputy who was chosen by a lucky draw after councillors deadlocked over his election.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube welcomed the election of the three office bearers.
Following the local government elections on August 3, the municipality’s council is evenly split between a coalition consisting of the African National Congress and an independent candidate and a coalition consisting of the Inkatha Freedom Party, the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters.
Each group has 20 seats in council.
It is understood that in the election for mayor and speaker there were two spoilt votes.
It is also understood that Delani Mabika from the IFP was elected mayor, while the IFP’s Lindiwe Gumbi was elected speaker of the council. Siphamandla Mathenjwa, the lone independent member of the council who had aligned himself with the ANC, was elected deputy mayor by a draw out of a hat after the votes for his election tied.
Democratic Alliance leader Zwakele Mncwango welcomed the election of the office bearers.
He said that he had written to Mabika to start an investigation into tenders awarded by the municipality.
“The people of Jozini have witnessed an enormous increase in corruption under the ANC, with a forensic investigation by Deloitte revealing irregularities in tenders for solar mast lights. There has also been the questionable awarding of a contract to OPMS and the over-expenditure on renovations made to community halls two years ago.”
He said those tenders as well as other irregularities had cost the municipality R90 million.
African News Agency