ETHEKWINI Mayor, Zandile Gumede has earned the ire of the opposition once again after she allegedly appointed Councillor Mondli Mthembu to stand in for her while she is out of the country. According to DA leader in KZN, Zwakele Mncwango, the party objected to the mayor’s actions, as well as Councillor Mthembu chairing this morning’s EXCO meeting.
This is not the first time the DA has objected to the Mayor appointing key officials without following protocol. In January this year the Mayor was accused to flouting the laws when she appointed Phillip Sithole as the acting deputy City Manager responsible for Economic Development and Tourism Departments without the support of council as required by law. Last year Gumede was also accused of breaking the law after her unlawful suspension of the former Municipal Manager, Sbu Sithole, which had to be reversed following the DA’s intervention.
In a media statement today, Mncwango said according to the Local Government Municipal Structures Act, deputy mayor, Fawzia Peer should have been delegated acting mayor powers while the mayor is absent.
“The DA is well aware that the reason behind Gumede’s snubbing of her deputy, Fawzia Peer, is because Peer belongs to another ANC faction and there is a trust issue. Once again, the ANC’s factional politics is rearing its ugly head in the running of government and resulting in unlawful acts,” he said.
Mncwango said Gumede had once again undermined the Local Government Municipal Structures Act, which clearly stated: The deputy Mayor exercises the powers and performs the duties of the mayor if the mayor is absent or not available or if the office of the mayor is vacant. The mayor may delegate duties to the deputy mayor.
He said the DA would write to COGTA MEC, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, requesting that the unlawful appointment of Mthembu be reversed with immediate effect before he takes any action as “acting mayor” which “would be unlawful action.”
