Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Bongi Sithole-Moloi has acceded to the request of ANC and NFP councillors in the Nongoma local municipality to intervene and convene a special council to oust the IFP there.
On Wednesday, Sithole-Moloi designated M P Khathide, a deputy director general from Cogta to go to Nongoma and convene the meeting.
NEWS: Victory for the ANC and NFP in Nongoma local municipality after KZN COGTA MEC, Bongi Sithole-Moloi agreed to their request to send an official to convene a special council meeting. The two parties want to oust Albert Mncwango, an IFP mayor. The sitting is on Monday. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) February 16, 2023
Last week the councillors of the two parties wrote a letter to the MEC to send an official to convene the meeting where they want to oust the mayor, Albert Mncwango, and the Speaker, Prince Bheki Zulu.
They claimed that their petitions to Zulu and later the municipal manager to convene the special sitting fell on deaf ears, hence the MEC being their last resort.
In her replying letter, Sithole-Moloi instructed Khathide to convene the meeting on February 20 with all councillors present.
“Subsequent to receipt of this request, I considered all documents submitted and Rules and Orders of Nongoma Local Municipality, particularly the provisions relating to this matter.
“I noted the contents of responses submitted by the Speaker and Municipal Manager, where both the Speaker and the Municipal Manager have not provided valid reasons and specific provision(s) of the law infringed in this regard.
“Furthermore, the Speaker and Municipal Manager's assertions that the rejection of the motions does not constitute a refusal does not detract from the fact that both offices have blatantly refused to convene meetings as requested.
“Having considered all the documents and applicable legislation, I am satisfied that the Speaker and Municipal Manager have refused to comply with the requirements of Section 29(1A) of the Act.
“I have therefore, elected to designate Mr M P Khathide, Deputy Director-General for Local Government who will convene and chair the meeting of the municipal council to consider matters tabled in the motions that have been submitted by a majority of councillors of Nongoma Municipality.
“The meeting will be convened in terms of the Rules and Orders of the Nongoma Local Municipality and/or any other relevant legislative provision, Sithole-Moloi decreed.
Zulu told IOL that he was not aware of the letter from the MEC and said that Cogta should have queried with him why he had not convened the meeting.
He claimed that the ANC and NFP councillors wrongly filed their petition and they were asked to correct it, but never did.
“I am not aware of that letter, I have not received it yet,” Zulu said.
The spokesperson of Cogta in the province, Senzelwe Mzila, confirmed to IOL that the letter was authentic.
“Yes, the department did issue correspondence to the municipality on the matter of the sitting,” Mzila said when asked by IOL about the matter.
The bid by the ANC and NFP came after the EFF pulled out of its coalition with the IFP, leaving it vulnerable in several municipalities including Nongoma, the seat of royal power for the Zulu kingdom.
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