Durban — In a move to save their recent marriage, IFP and DA provincial leaders will visit the Abaqulusi Local Municipality to address tensions between their councillors.
This was revealed to the Daily News on Monday by KwaZulu-Natal DA chairperson, Dean Macpherson. He denied there were tensions but admitted that he had been asked to address some issues that had arisen.
Macpherson said he and IFP provincial chairperson Thami Ntuli would soon visit the municipality to meet with their councillors, “to understand what the issues are and how they can be resolved. There is nothing that cannot be resolved.”
His comment followed a letter penned to the IFP leadership in the municipality by DA councillor Swelakhe Shelembe, complaining of being undermined by the IFP speaker and the municipal manager.
In a letter seen by this newspaper and addressed to mayor Khehla Mkhwanazi, Shelembe accused the IFP of going against the spirit of the service delivery pact signed by the two parties.
Shelembe said he had written to the mayor after the former mayor continued to attend council meetings despite his dismissal in June.
He also questioned the continued presence of three IFP councillors in the executive committee (exco) despite also being removed after they were found guilty by the Ethics Committee.
“We as the DA caucus are highly concerned about the status of our council exco and its portfolio committees since the council resolved the matter concerning four councillors who were implicated in the Ethics Committee report, which was upheld by the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC.
“We need to be taken into confidence on the following questions: Who encouraged the participation of the expelled councillor and if there are any salaries still being paid to him after Cogta’s concurrence (with his dismissal)? What impact will it have on the decisions taken by the council? Who must be held accountable for these discrepancies and violations of the legislation?” asked Shelembe.
He also drew the attention of the mayor to the service delivery pact commitments, which included that a culture of accountability, transparency and good governance would form the foundation of all work to be performed in the municipality.
“It is our view as the DA caucus that the above-mentioned commitments, which are the core foundation of the working relationship between the two parties, are being deliberately undermined and violated. The DA caucus is seemingly deprived of access to the critical municipal information concerning the institution.”
Shelembe confirmed sending the letter but refused to discuss the content, saying it was an internal matter between the parties.
The DA and IFP relationship in the municipality soured after Shelembe led the ethics committee investigation and vocally pushed for the dismissal of the IFP councillors found guilty of misconduct.
Meanwhile, the former mayor and other three councillors were in the Pietermaritzburg High Court to challenge the Ethics Committee findings which recommended their removal as exco members. Former mayor Mncedisi Maphisa is challenging his dismissal as the councillor. The matter was postponed because Cogta was not represented.
Abaqulusi Local Municipality manager Zwelihle Dlamini said the former mayor and three councillors have appealed the findings against them, therefore they are still regarded as councillors.
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