Seven IFP councillors are facing expulsion from Umvoti (Greytown) Local Municipality for alleged absenteeism and walking out of council sittings.
The imminent expulsion is contained in letters written by the Speaker, Mfundo Masondo. He wants them to state their cases by July 19 before a decision is taken.
Among those facing expulsion are Petros Ngubane who is the current Mayor of the IFP-led Umzinyathi District Municipality, the recently dethroned Mayor of the Local Municipality, Gabriel Malembe and the former Speaker, Thando Dlamini.
They are all from the IFP (Inkatha Freedom Party).
Although Ngubane is based at the district level, his service there depends on him being a councillor at the local level.
In the event that he is fired, he may lose his position at the district level.
Malembe and Dlamini lost their positions late last month when the ANC and ABC (Abantu Batho Congress) came together and ousted the IFP from power in the KZN Midlands municipality.
After their ousting, Philani PG Mavundla from ABC became the Mayor, Ntombi Ngubane became the deputy mayor and Masondo was the speaker.
JUST IN: 7 councillors face expulsion from Umvoti (Greytown) municipality for absenteeism and walking out of council sittings. The imminent expulsion is contained in letters written by the Speaker, Mfundo Masondo where he wants them to state their cases by 19 July 2023. @IOL pic.twitter.com/hRdZxxwlt7
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 11, 2023
Masondo said these councillors had violated the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act: 117 of 1998 and the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act: 32 of 2000.
He said all these councillors staged a walkout on 21 June 2023 when the Head of Department (HoD) of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Thando Tubane convened the meeting that ousted the IFP.
They then missed the subsequent meetings on June 27 and 29, 2023
“Kindly provide a written submission detailing what has warranted the failure to respect or honour four (4) successive meetings.
“A response is requested no later than Wednesday, 19 July 2023 close of business (16:30).
“Processes will be followed in accordance with the provisions cited above, the code of conduct for councillors, standing rules and orders, both the Local Government Systems 32 of 2000 and Structures Act, 117 of 1998.
“Any other applicable legislative prescripts will also be invoked,” Masondo wrote in a letter to Malembe.
Writing to Ngubane, Masondo alleged that he committed the same offences as Malembe, Dlamini and the other IFP councillors.
Ngubane did not respond when IOL asked him whether he had received Masondo’s letter and whether he was planning to challenge its directives or not.