Durban — Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC in KwaZulu-Natal Bongi Sithole-Moloi has condemned the hooligan behaviour of people who disrupted her department meeting to deliver services in Estcourt in the north-west of the province.
A group of people, some of them wearing IFP regalia, who had attended the event in the area on Saturday charged towards the stage and disrupted the department's head of Ministry, Lindokuhle Xulu, who was conducting the programme.
Department spokesperson Siboniso Mngadi told the “Daily News” on Sunday that the MEC has strongly condemned the behaviour. He said the MEC had not yet arrived at the event when the incident happened.
“The MEC condemned the hooligan behaviour of the group of people who disrupted the government service delivery programme, but due to people's safety we decided to cancel the event," said Mngadi.
He, however, said the MEC was happy the incident happened after services like water tankers had been delivered and the people that needed the services had already accessed them.
According to attendees, the group had come with Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality mayor Mduduzi Myeza and demanded to know why the mayor was not in the programme, then pushed for his inclusion.
A source said while Xulu and the mayor were discussing his inclusion outside the marquee, the group continued to cause chaos, jumping on to the stage and hurling insults at Xulu.
The source added that the group appeared to be targeting Xulu as some of them were overheard shouting that Xulu hates the IFP because even in Zululand he had an issue with their party.
Xulu told the paper on Sunday that the mayor was invited while the event was being organised so that he could be included in the programme, but did not respond.
The mayor is yet to respond to allegations that the group had accompanied him.
Xulu has had running battles with the IFP-led municipalities of Zululand District and Abaqulusi Local Municipality, where he accused officials of corruption.
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