DURBAN - The ANC in Zululand has lambasted the EFF for “selling out” the people of the district after an EFF councillor refused to help oust mayor Thulasizwe Buthelezi.
The ANC had called for a motion of no confidence against Buthelezi on Tuesday, but had to withdraw it at the last minute after the sole EFF councillor, deputy mayor Thulani Ndlovu, refused to help kick out the mayor, whom the ANC accused of rampant corruption.
In a statement issued by ANC Youth League member Lindo Xulu, who had organised a march on Monday to call for the mayor's removal, he said the people of Zululand felt betrayed by the EFF, and that by “backing” a person who was accused of crime, the EFF had shown that it was allegedly part of, or was benefiting from, corruption.
Xulu said the EFF had agreed in principle to support the motion, but hours before the motion started, the councillor told him he had received an instruction from the party’s top leaders, threatening to fire him if he helped the ANC.
ANC regional secretary Zakhele Buthelezi said the EFF was “two-faced” because it had initially agreed to work with the ANC, but later reneged on this agreement.
The mayor stands accused of squandering R240 million, which the ANC and Xulu said was used to provide security for Buthelezi and his wife. ANC chief whip Khaya Khumalo said that the municipality had also squandered R127m on fruitless expenditure.
The mayor has dismissed all the allegations, saying that as mayor he did not get involved in financial matters, which were up to the municipal manager. He accused the ANC of running a smear campaign against him.
EFF provincial chairperson Vusi Khoza said their working relationship with the IFP was still intact, so there was no way that their councillor would vote with the ANC.
“The decision to work with the IFP was taken by the national leadership, so no lower structure was going to vote against the mayor without instructions from the national leadership,“ Khoza said.
Xulu said the EFF’s actions would not dampen the spirit of the people of Zululand to fight corruption.
The EFF was rescuing the IFP for the second time in Zululand after it helped the party retain power after the IFP failed to get enough seats to govern alone. The IFP needed one seat, and the EFF came to the rescue.
The IFP was under threat from the ANC and NFP coalition, which had collected the same number of seats, leaving the EFF to decide which party governed. It chose the IFP. The ANC and NFP coalition has 18 seats, while the IFP with the EFF’s sole seat has 19.
Mxolisi Ncube, district secretary of the Young Communist League of SA, Mzala Nxumalo District, said they condemned the alleged corruption and abuse of public funds by Buthelezi. “The community and young people of Zululand must continue to stand up against corrupt activities. Just last year he hosted a R5m breakfast in Durban.”
Xulu, who said he represented the residents of Zululand District Municipality, said they wanted to create a municipality that was free of corruption. The residents would approach Public Protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, and ask her office to launch a full-scale investigation into rampant corruption and maladministration in the municipality, said Xulu.
Daily News