Durban – The chairperson of the EFF in KwaZulu-Natal, Mongezi Thwala, says all eight of their deputy mayors in the province have heeded the call to resign from their positions after the party recently ended its coalition pact with the IFP.
EFF leader Julius Malema announced the party was cutting ties from the IFP over the weekend. The IFP responded by saying the doors to negotiate the coalition terms again were closed.
Malema claimed that their deputy mayors were not being given any significant roles to play except being given bodyguards once they assume office.
NEWS: The chairperson of the EFF in KwaZulu-Natal, Mongezi Thwala, says all their 8 deputy mayors in the province have heeded the call to vacate their positions following the wobbly end of their coalition pact with the IFP.
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) January 31, 2023
“Eight deputy mayors, have resigned all of them,” Thwala told IOL on Tuesday.
Among those who resigned was Nkululeko Ngubane, the former deputy mayor of the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay-Mpangeni) which the IFP claims the EFF wanted in exchange for maintaining their coalition pact which started in November 2021.
IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa told a press conference in Durban on Monday that they refused to accede to that demand, but proposed that the EFF be helped to topple the ANC in eThekwini and govern there.
He said they flatly refused that and the option to topple the ANC in Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg) or Umdoni (Umzinto) and govern there, but they insisted on laying their hands on UMhlathuze.
Ngubane completely left the municipality as he even surrendered his seat as a councillor amid speculations that he is heading for the provincial legislature.
Despite being a coalition partner, Ngubane held the IFP accountable in the city and he is the one who raised concerns about the party-focusing rallies than taking much-needed services to the people.
UPDATE: The IFP in the Zululand district municipality has already replaced Thulani Ndlovu, the former EFF deputy mayor, who resigned on Monday as directed by his party following a fallout between the two parties over their coalition. He has been replaced by Siyabonga Mbatha. @IOL pic.twitter.com/WPQ5iUrHSW
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) January 31, 2023
Another deputy mayor who resigned was Thulani Ndlovu, the former deputy mayor of the Zululand district municipality which is anchored in Ulundi, the original capital of the Zulu kingdom.
WATCH: IFP councillors of Umhlabuyalingana local municipality in KZN jubilant after today's council sitting where the ANC and EFF walked out. One ANC councillor stayed behind and the sitting met the quorum to proceed. The ANC councillor later announced that he was resignining. pic.twitter.com/3yu3ZDvM78
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) January 31, 2023
On Tuesday the municipality convened a special council sitting and replaced Ndlovu with Siyabonga Mbatha from the IFP.
Another former EFF deputy mayor who vacated his position was Sabelo Nkosi who was Nongoma local municipality’s deputy to Albert Mncwango of the IFP.
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