Durban — KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has revealed that plans were being made to establish a committee that would manage differences among parties who are in the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU). This comes as tensions between senior ANC and IFP leaders seem to be on the rise.
Tensions were highlighted by IFP’s MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Thulasizwe Buthelezi and ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo in an exchange of harsh words over Nongoma Municipality.
In a statement, Mtolo accused Buthelezi of weaponising Cogta, which Buthelezi did not take lying down.
The situation was likely to sabotage plans between the ANC and IFP in turning things around in hung municipalities.
In an interview with the Sunday Tribune on Thursday, Ntuli, the IFP provincial chairperson, admitted that there were hostile relationships between the parties, who are on a “new journey”, which is being referred to as GPU.
“It (GPU) is like a new baby and you cannot predict how it will grow up. We must have a committee, which will play a political oversight over the GPU, but not a committee that would be telling the government what to do. It will be there to solve misunderstanding and ensure stability,” said Ntuli.
In what could be interpreted as a move to create a harmonious relationship between the parties, Mtolo recently told 1KZN TV that the IFP and ANC would work together in line with the government of national unity agreements on all hung municipalities such as KwaDukuza, eThekwini and Msunduzi.
However, Mtolo included a condition: He said if the IFP contested the ANC for the election of the mayor of KwaDukuza, “it would be difficult to work with them (IFP) in other municipalities and that our relationship in eThekwini would be ruined.”
The ANC was preparing to oust its KwaDukuza mayor Lindile Nhaca and replace her with its councillor Njabulo Cele and offer the vacant deputy mayor’s position to the IFP.
Buthelezi placed eThekwini under administration in June, introduced Dr Mike Sutcliffe and Dr Cassius Lubisi as the two governance experts appointed by Cogta under section 154 to lead the intervention. The IFP and ANC were still in discussions on how they could work together in the city. Ntuli said the two parties recently held a meeting where they established a common understanding that would help the parties to understand how the GPU should work.
“In the beginning, there would be areas that would require more attention like that one (tension between Mtolo and Buthelezi) and we should be able to separate political matters and government matters.
“We should understand how as coalition partners we should support and strengthen the government by ensuring that we support the operations of government,” he said.
He said the parties agreed that “wherever there are issues (of differences) we get closer to each other”.
He said the parties had looked at how they could work through the statement of intent, which prescribes political oversight.
In a press statement released on July 17, Mtolo attacked Buthelezi for appointing AB Mnikathi as municipal manager in the Nongoma Municipality, which he alleged its “intention is to ensure that procurement processes are manipulated and that municipal resources are diverted for the benefit of a criminal syndicate”.
“Unfortunately, MEC Buthelezi is now introducing a new culture wherein, Cogta becomes the perpetrator of maladministration.
“Since assuming his new responsibilities, MEC Buthelezi has elevated himself above the leadership collective within the GPU,” read Mtolo’s statement.
Ntuli described the tension between Buthelezi and Mtolo as an “abnormal interaction”, which he said would be a lesson for the parties to understand “the baby, which is the GPU”.
“I spoke to Cogta MEC and the ANC secretary and they can confirm that they don’t have problems with each other,” he said.
He said among issues of discussion between IFP and ANC was to create an understanding that there should be no political interference on the actions taken by Buthelezi in his capacity as the Cogta MEC.
“The discussions are not about directing Cogta to act in a particular way because that would be tantamount to interference,” he said.
Ntuli said the recent provincial government lekgotla agreed that the GPU should support struggling municipalities.
“We will pay attention to eThekwini, Richards Bay (Umhlathuze), Msunduzi, Ladysmith (Alfred Duma) and Newcastle on the issues of compliance, which are the reason for Section 139 (administration), said Ntuli.
He said the provincial government would soon engage with municipalities and that Buthelezi has invited him to a first meeting with the councils “to set the tone”.
“We are going to have a meeting with all municipalities in August. Among the things that we spoke about (lekgotla) was the revitalisation of small towns with the purpose of promoting economic development,” he said.
Sunday Tribune