Cogta MEC accused of being part of an ANC campaign to dislodge IFP from power

The IFP in KwaZulu-Natal has accused the newly-appointed Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC, Bongi Sithole-Moloi, of being part of an ANC campaign to dislodge the IFP from power in the province’s hung councils.

The ANC, which recently entered a coalition with the EFF, which until recently has been co-governing with the IFP in several hung municipalities in KZN, is currently on a campaign to remove IFP mayors through votes of no confidence.

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IFP provincial chairperson Thamsanqa Ntuli, however, said Sithole-Moloi was using her Cogta MEC position to ensure that the IFP was removed from power.

She is also an ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) member.

When the ANC and EFF claimed that they have ganged up against the IFP in their bid to remove IFP mayors from some municipalities in KZN, we were not aware that they were planning to use a government department (Cogta) to achieve their nefarious objectives. To ensure that her party gains power in the municipalities, the MEC even went to the extent of violating the law. As the IFP we are concerned by the fact that she is even prepared to plunge the Nongoma Municipality into instability, just to protect the interests of her own political party and not those of Nongoma residents.

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The IFP’s outrage comes after the IFP-led Nongoma Municipality ruled as not urgent, a petition by EFF, ANC and NFP councillors calling on the municipality to convene a special council meeting to debate a motion of no confidence against IFP office-bearers.

Following a request from councillors within the ANC-led coalition, the provincial Cogta then intervened.

In a letter addressed to the municipality, provincial Cogta deputy director general, Madoda Khathide, confirmed that the department has resolved that the special council meeting should be held on Monday at 10am.

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IFP Nongoma Municipality mayor Albert Mncwango, who is one of party office bearers targeted by the ANC-led coalition, has since written back to Moloi-Sithole, labelling her as a “biased” person.

At the onset, allow me to state that your biased political approach to favour members of your own party, will not be accepted. It’s absolutely shocking that you will take such a decision, based on a one-sided report emanating from your party members in the Nongoma Municipal Council.

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The Nongoma Municipality speaker and the municipal manager, Mncwango said, provided sound reasons consistent with the law on why the motion of confidence debate should not be treated as an urgent matter.

It’s recorded that the speaker has not refused a legitimate request signed by the majority of councillors to call a meeting. He has merely upheld the rule of law and rejected legally defective and flawed documents.

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Mncwango told Sithole-Moloi that her decision to force the municipality to hold the special meeting amounted to an “abuse of power”.

You have merely leapt into the fray to satisfy your local party members. This constitutes an abuse of power on your part, an abuse of government resources for the gain of own political power. It’s an unlawful infringement by your sphere of government within another sphere of government.

However, NFP secretary general, Canaan Mdletshe, maintained that the IFP speaker and the MM did everything possible to block the vote of a no-confidence debate.

They played a hide and seek game with councillors at the Nongoma Municipality. Everything within the law was done to ensure that the special council sitting does take place, but the IFP was content with playing delaying tactics. Councillors then approached Cogta, as a last resort.

According to the department, Sithole- Moloi, has also intervened in the Maphumulo Municipality – where the ANC-led coalition has also submitted a motion of no confidence against IFP office-bearers.

The intervention, the department said, became necessary given that the reasons given by the two municipalities for not convening special meetings as requested by the majority of councillors were deemed to be outside the law.

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In the Maphumulo Municipality, other commitments by either the speaker or the MM were cited as the reason for not convening the special council sitting while in Nongoma, health issues were cited as the reason.

The department said:

All these excuses are now accommodated in Section 291(A), a meeting must be convened on a date as requested by petitioners. A speaker, MM and MEC can delegate if they have prior commitments.

Those accusing the MEC of bias, the department said, were not familiar with the Municipal Structures Act.

“The MEC therefore refutes all allegations that are directed at Cogta as a result of the failure by councillors to read the legislation. “The MEC is simply doing what the law says she must do,” the department said.

The Nongoma Municipality is considered a strategic council given that it is the home of Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, who is an influential figure within the KZN province.