Durban - The National Freedom Party, a splinter party of the IFP which was formed in 2011 by the late former deputy minister Zanele KaMagwaza Msibi, says it has resolved to work with the ANC and the EFF in hung municipalities.
The NFP said the IFP’s style of governance “inspires no confidence” and all municipalities their opponent governs have “collapsed”.
On Wednesday, the party held an impromptu press conference in Durban to take a position after the fallout between the IFP and the EFF meant that there would be a change of leadership in some municipalities.
The party’s secretary-general, Canaan Mdletshe, said the people could be better served by the ANC-EFF-NFP alliance as opposed to the IFP.
The NFP has several councillors in a number of municipalities. However, some of them are openly defying their leadership and voting with the IFP.
“With all the challenges confronting our people, it’s a reality that South Africans decided that as political parties, we should work together.
NEWS: The NFP, a splinter party of the IFP formed in 2011, says it has resolved to work with the ANC and the EFF in hung municipalities. The NFP says the IFP's style of governance "inspires no confidence" & all municipalities their opponent governs in KZN have "collapsed." @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) February 1, 2023
“The 2021 local government elections results gave no party a mandate to govern alone in many municipalities across the country.
“The situation in KwaZulu-Natal is no different.
“Therefore, following the latest developments, the National Freedom Party has serious engagements and considerations on what role to play in the formations of government in various hung municipalities.
“Our decisions and considerations were purely based on the assessment of our municipalities since their formation in 2021.
“During our assessment, we looked at the performance of municipalities and whether there had been any tangible and visible changes in as far as the delivery of services was concerned.
“After all the facts, the NFP has decided to work with the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters in various hung municipalities.
“This is simply because we believe that these parties would make better governance in a local sphere of governance.
“The failures to deliver services and serious mismanagement of finances by the IFP does not inspire confidence.
“In actual fact, the IFP-controlled municipalities have collapsed,” Mdletshe said on behalf of his party.
WATCH: The Mayor of Nongoma local municipality, Albert Mncwango, says the resignation of his deputy, Sabelo Nkosi from the EFF, as instructed by his party, will not hamper their service delivery programmes. He said a new deputy mayor will be elected soon. @IOL pic.twitter.com/BrLcOlSdmj
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) January 31, 2023
Citing one IFP failure to govern, Mdletshe said the people of uPhongolo local municipality have been without a mayor for months and service delivery in eMadlangeni (Utrecht), Nongoma and uMhlathuze has collapsed
“Residents are fed up with poor services. If you go to Zululand, people go for weeks without water.
“Right now, residents of uPhongolo do not know who their councillors are, they report to deputy councillors and no amount of service is taking place.
“Actually, in uPhongolo, there’s no mayor for months as she is said to be in hiding somewhere in eSwatini.
“The municipality is dysfunctional and is in a state of collapse,” Mdletshe claimed.
Meanwhile, in the Nongoma local municipality where the former EFF deputy mayor resigned on Monday, the IFP mayor there, Albert Mncwango, said it’s business as usual for them.
He said the resignation of Sabelo Nkosi would not hamper service delivery and his replacement would be elected soon.
“We are going to have a meeting of the council where there will be the election of the new deputy mayor.
“I do want to say that his resignation is not going to affect the operations of the municipality because the deputy mayor, by definition, actually assists the mayor.
“So whether he is there or not, I am capable of carrying through my duties,” Mncwango told IOL.
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