ABC’s Mavundla resigns from eThekwini executive council

Axed eThekwini Municipality deputy mayor and Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) president, Philani Mavundla, has resigned from the executive council with immediate effect.

The resignation was announced by speaker, Thabani Nyawose, at a council meeting on Tuesday.

Nyawose also announced the resignation of Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) Thabane Miya and Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Ronnie Pillay.

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The speaker said that the EFF seat in council will be taken over by the party’s Bhekithemba Mvubu; however, the seats vacated by Mavundla and Pillay are yet to be filled.

ABC thanks public

The ABC confirmed Mavundla’s resignation and thanked the people of eThekwini for the vote of confidence which saw the party secure two seats in the eThekwini council post the 2021 local government elections.

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ABC also wishes to take this opportunity to apologise profusely to the people of eThekwini for supporting an ANC-led government when the people had chosen to remove the ANC from power in the 2021 local government elections. At the time, it was our genuine belief that the ANC would be persuaded to join our cause in championing the interests of the condemned people of eThekwini by accelerating service delivery, holding officials and office bearers accountable as well as seeing to the real and true emancipation of our people. Sadly, this was not to be.

“As the people of eThekwini have borne witness, our president Mavundla was removed for pursuing this very cause. We also wish to thank the councillors who supported the ABC-led bloc, particularly those who supported Mavundla during his tenure. We thank even those councillors who later on allowed themselves to be persuaded otherwise and at the last hour, voted for the removal of Mavundla.

“It is true that our views will differ from time to time, and we wish those councillors well,” said ABC secretary-general, Phumelele Phahla.

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Phahla said going forward, Mavundla and the party collective in eThekwini will be engaged in the court action in support of ActionSA and will continue to be the “voice of the voiceless”.

Democratic Alliance KwaZulu-Natal provincial chairperson, Dean Macpherson, said Pillay resigned following a series of absences due to illness and he has also automatically lost his seat as a ward councillor.

Pillay had been unwell for some time and had submitted a number of sick-notes to the DA as he was unable to carry out his political duties and responsibilities to his community.

Ward meetings

The speaker also used the council meeting to reprimand councillors who were deliberately avoiding holding ward committee meetings.

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He said a report will be submitted to the ethics committee concerning those councillors and disciplinary action will be implemented.

Some councillors are not convening meetings deliberately. I will act to discipline those who are not following the rules. In February, out of 111 wards, only 78 convened ward committee meetings, and only 19 of them could provide proof that those meetings took place.

Nyawose said the councillors’ failure to convene community meetings was a disadvantage to the communities they were serving as it meant there were no formal platforms to air out issues.