DURBAN - NEWCASTLE Municipality mayor and ANC member Ntuthuko Mahlaba is set to continue with his duties, despite facing criminal charges.
The KwaZulu-Natal police confirmed yesterday that the 40-year-old controversial mayor appeared in the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court on Monday after being summoned to appear.
KZN provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said Mahlaba appeared together with 28-yearold Njabulo Mabaso and 26-year-old Sgananda Shezi.
Naicker said the three were facing charges in connection with an incident that took place on September, 3 2020, involving employees from a subcontractor in Newcastle.
The three have been charged with assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, malicious damage to property and theft. The case is back in court on August 26.
Newcastle Municipality head of communications Mlungisi Khumalo confirmed the incident.
He, however, clarified that Mahlaba was not arrested as had been reported on social media, but was summoned to present himself to court.
“As a law-abiding citizen, the mayor swiftly presented himself in court yesterday (Monday),” he said.
Khumalo said Mahlaba also viewed the allegation as malicious, frivolous and without substance.
He added that the mayor was looking forward to going to court to clear his name.
Khumalo added that in the interim, Mahlaba would continue to serve the residents of Newcastle and pleaded with people to allow the law to take its course.
Mahlaba, who is also the ANC eMalahleni regional chairperson, has been in the news in recent years.
This was after he was arrested in 2019 for the 2016 murder of an ANC Youth League (ANCYL) leader, Wandile Ngubeni. However the charges were withdrawn in August 2019.
DA councillor and municipal executive committee (exco) member Bebsie Cronje said as per the ANC step-aside guidelines, exco chairperson Mahlaba, should vacate his position pending the outcome of his criminal case.
Cronje said for a mayor to be linked to such criminal charges was a disgrace to the municipality and was tarnishing its image.
“In the next council meeting, we will have to raise questions and the mayor will have to explain himself about what happened.
“The ANC must take action against such members who continue to make headlines and tarnish the name of the municipality,” she said.
ANC provincial spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said that they had been made aware of the reports on social media and in the news.
Asked if any action would be taken against Mahlaba, Ntombela said the ANC provincial secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli, had written to the region to get a full response on what had happened and where the charges emanated from.
“Only then will we be able to respond once we have all the facts at hand,” he said.
Mahlaba is one of the few staunch and open KZN supporters of ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ahead of the Nasrec conference in 2017, he was able to sway the region away from the province, which supported
Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and backed Ramaphosa, who eventually won the contest.
Political analyst, Xolani Dube, said the ANC’s resolution on stepping aside is clear that once a person is criminally charged, they must step aside even if they believe that the offence is insignificant.
In the case of Mahlaba, Dube said the ANC leadership in the provincial headquarters had no leg to stand on and they had to serve Mahlaba with a letter to step aside or else the resolution would be seen as aimed at certain individuals within the ruling party.
“Mdumiseni (Ntuli, ANC KZN secretary) himself has said anyone criminally charged is not desirable to serve the ANC and what he should be doing now is telling Mahlaba that he has to step aside.
“Politically, the deputy chairperson should be taking over. This case is clear, what is left now is the administration work and communication to the public and Mahlaba to step aside,” Dube said.
THE MERCURY