ANC to decide Zandile Gumede's fate over the weekend

Faced with public pressure, the ANC in KZN says it will finalise the matter of suspended eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede by this weekend. Picture: Nqobile Mbonambi/African News Agency (ANA)

Faced with public pressure, the ANC in KZN says it will finalise the matter of suspended eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede by this weekend. Picture: Nqobile Mbonambi/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Aug 6, 2019

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Johannesburg - Faced with public pressure over the matter of suspended eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, the ANC in KZN says it will be able to finalise her matter by this weekend.

This comes after her suspension was officially extended by seven days on Tuesday and the decision was relayed to her on the same day. 

The party's provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli told a media briefing on Tuesday in Durban that the time they had over the weekend to discuss the matter and others was insufficient and debate over the matter "was heated". 

"We will be able to conclude the matter within seven days... When the PEC reconvenes this coming weekend, it will reconvene primarily to deal with two critical issues. Firstly, to conclude the discussion on the state of municipalities and confirm where deployment must be made. Where there are clear vacancies because the mayor has become an MPL or an MP. But most importantly, the PEC is going to emerge with decisions where leadership must be changed," Ntuli said. 

The ANC in KZN says it will finalise the matter of suspended eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede by this weekend, said party's provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli. Video: Sihle Mavuso

Gumede and others face charges related to the awarding of a R208 million waste collection tender to several companies.

Asked by Independent Media later whether they avoided taking action because there are fears that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was not yet ready to proceed with the matter and may provisionally withdraw the charges against Gumede on Thursday, Ntuli said that had no bearing on their decision. 

"Whether or not the NPA will take a different decision in future, we are not privy to that. The PEC will deal with the issue at hand as it has always been doing on the strength on the evidence and the information at our disposal. We cannot speculate about what the might or might do."

Gumede is due in court on Thursday. 

Political Bureau

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