Durban - In a major climb down on Saturday, the DA-run Umngeni local municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands announced that it was canning its sports day billed for Mpophomeni stadium over safety concerns.
In a statement issued in his capacity as a member of the DA, the municipality’s mayor, Chris Pappas said the venue has been forcefully taken over by people who do not hesitate to use violence to get what they want.
Pappas’s comment and the municipality’s official withdrawal came after days of heated exchanges between it and the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, whose political home is the ANC.
JUST IN: The Umngeni local municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands has abruptly cancelled the Sports day that was billed to take place at Mpophomeni stadium. This is same the stadium that saw violent clashes between the municipality’s Mayor and ANC supporters on Friday.
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 15, 2023
The fight between the two was over the use of the stadium which Pappas said they booked in advance for the sports day.
However, the Office of the Premier later booked it for Dube-Ncube’s imbizo which they claimed is for speeding up stagnating service delivery in the municipality the ANC lost to the DA in November 2021.
The fight for the use of the venue turned nasty on Friday when Pappas went to the stadium to inspect it and was allegedly cornered by ANC supporters from the Moses Mabhida region (Umgungundlovu).
A resident was injured in what the ANC claimed was a hit-and-run by Pappas while in the stadium.
Pappas disputed that, saying he was attacked by a “mob” that was unleashed on him by Mzi Zuma, the ANC Mayor in Umgungundlovu district municipality.
NEWS: The Leader of the DA in KZN, Francois Rodgers has slammed claims by the ANC in the Moses Mabhida region that the DA Mayor of Umngeni local municipality, Chris Pappas, knocked down a resident and ran away. He said: "The opportunistic allegations by the ANC Moses Mabhida
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 14, 2023
After all the fracas, Pappas said it was not worth it and said people’s safety should always come first.
“It is with sadness that I must announce the cancellation of the Umngeni municipal sports day scheduled to take place today the 15th July.
“For the safety of the players, the fans and the community, it would be irresponsible of me as a person that answers to the call of leader to encourage people to be at the venue that has been taken over by criminals, thugs and people who have no problem with utilising others to achieve their ends, even through violence.
“I will not be an elephant that tramples the grass, one must rise to be inkunzi ematholeni, a bull among the calves,” Pappas announced on Saturday.
BREAKING NEWS: Tensions are high in Howick where there is a stand-off between the ANC and the DA-led Umgeni local municipality. The ANC in the region alleges that Mayor Chris Pappas knocked down a resident and ran away at Mpophomeni, the contested venue between the Premier
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 14, 2023
In an official statement, municipal manager, Mzi Hloba echoed Pappas by saying the safety of participants was paramount, hence their decision to step back.
“The uMngeni Municipality hereby announces the cancellation of a community sports event planned for the 15th of July at the Mpophomeni Stadium.
“Due to the unauthorized occupation and use of the facility after a breaking and entering incident yesterday, the Municipality is concerned for the safety of sports fans and the Community,” Hloba said.
Regarding the alleged hit and run by Pappas alleged by the ANC, Hloba dismissed it as untrue.
“The municipality further reports that the mayor and his driver/protector are unharmed after an unprovoked attack that occurred at the stadium yesterday.
“The municipality can confirm via medical reports that allegations of a ‘critical’ patient are false.
“The alleged victim, a 26-year-old male resident of the eMathengeni area, left the Northdale hospital, walking, shortly after arriving yesterday.
“The municipality is currently engaged with attorneys about the actions to be taken,” Hloba added.
Late on Friday, the premier said the imbizo would continue at the contested stadium and indeed by Saturday it was going on as planned and disputed suggestions that it was going to cost R3 million.
Dube-Ncube and Zuma started their programme by handing over an RDP house to the family of unemployed Elisah Tsotetsi of Mpophomeni township.
At the handover, the Premier announced that 146 houses that are part of the Mpophomeni housing project have been completed and would soon be handed over to beneficiaries.
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