Nongoma in KZN on tenterhooks over volatile political situation

KwaZulu-Natal community safety MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, has expressed concerns at the volatile situation at the Nongoma Municipality where opposition councillors are in a push to remove the IFP from power.

Opposition councillors from the ANC, NFP and EFF on Monday attempted to hold a special meeting where IFP office bearers were scheduled to be removed through a vote of no confidence.

However, the meeting could not go ahead as protesters aligned to the IFP stormed the council chamber where the meeting was supposed to take place.

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Hlomuka described the Nongoma situation, which could spread to other municipalities where opposition parties were currently locked in a dispute with the governing IFP as “worrying”.

“Am very concerned where there is instability,” he said.

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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 in the province’s hung councils through votes of no confidence.

However, the IFP — which accuses its opponents in the province’s hung municipalities of not following processes when requesting the special sittings — believe that the opposition was being backed by KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC, Bongi Sithole-Moloi in their campaign to weaken the party in the province.

Monday’s Nongoma Municipality’s special sitting was called by Sithole-Moloi’s department after IFP office bearers had declined to convene the meeting, saying it was not urgent.

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When opposition councillors arrived at the Nongoma council offices on Monday morning, they found that the protesters had blocked the entrance with heaps of sand.

Following police intervention, opposition councillors were finally able to enter the council chamber.

However, once inside the chamber, opposition councillors had to leave the building after the protesters stormed into the chamber, banging tables and throwing objects onto the roof.

The protestors — which included people clad in Amabutho (Zulu regiments) regalia, sang pro-IFP songs.
After more protestors moved in, police found the situation difficult to handle — resulting in the special sitting being postponed to Tuesday.

But NFP secretary general, Canaan Mdletshe, did not see the point in postponing the meeting.

If the law enforcement agencies failed to deal with the hooligans today [Monday] where is the guarantee that they will be able to deal with the chaotic situation tomorrow [Tuesday]. What is clear is that those hooligans were mobilised, transported from various parts to the council offices. This is a well-organised campaign designed to create chaos within the municipality — imagine what would have happened had opposition parties retaliated by bringing in their supporters — there would have been bloodshed.
EFF provincial chairperson, Mongezi Twala, said the red berets were “appalled” by what happened at the Nongoma Municipality.

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We condemn this act of hooliganism in its highest form as it shows political immaturity and the IFP’s inability to resolve conflicts. We call upon Cogta not to despair but to continue until these culprits are ousted.
IFP leaders both in the province and at national level could not be reached for comment as their cell phones went unanswered.

Other municipalities where the ANC coalition is gunning for IFP mayors include Maphumulo, Zululand and Mtubatuba.