New Mayor installed in Mtubatuba
The mayoral change was termed a 'reshuffle' by the IFP
AMID public protest, the new Mtubatuba mayor and his deputy were recently installed at a ceremony at which police officers stood guard to prevent an outbreak of violence.
The ceremony went off without a hitch despite a large crowd of protesters who gathered outside, voicing their support for the recently demoted mayor, Qhina Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi and his deputy were last month ordered to step down by the IFP’s KZN Political Oversight Committee as part of what committee chairperson, Mr Mbango, termed a ‘reshuffle’.
In their places, the party promoted Cllr MV Gumede to Mtubatuba Mayor and Dr Nkosinathi Mlambu to Deputy Mayor.
Gumede was previously deputy mayor at Hlabisa Local Municipality, and more recently part of uMkhanyakude District Municipality, while his deputy, Cllr Mlambu, was previously an ordinary councillor at Mtubatuba Municipality, which has made many headlines in recent years for its volatile political wrangling.
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After being under provincial administration for more than three years, the local municipality was dissolved by the KZN Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) before a new council was elected.
Spokesperson for the Mpukunyoni Traditional Council for many years, Cllr Qhina Mkhwanazi was elected as Mtubatuba mayor during the 2016 local elections.
Although the IFP said his sudden departure as mayor was not because of corruption, he likened the dismissal to one of a soccer player who, after being found to be not playing according to the rules, is replaced by another player.
ALSO READ: Mayoral muddle at Mtubatuba Municipality
