The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in KwaZulu-Natal says it is not surprising that the African National Congress in the province has finally taken a decision to recall some mayors in the province including eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede.
The ANC will on Tuesday afternoon unpack details of its decisions including the recalling of some mayors and speakers of the poor performing municipalities in the province.
The cash strapped uMsunduzi municipality mayor Themba Njilo is also expected to be axed.
EFF Chair Vusi Khoza says local government has collapsed under the ANC.
“As the EFF we are not surprised that this decision has finally been taken, you will note that local government has collapsed under the ANC. Out of the 54 municipalities, only 1 got a clean audit according to the recent release of the Auditor General report, none of those mayors were very helpful. To remove them particularly in eThekwini that’s the only metro that we got, we can’t have a situation where we have a mayor accused of such gross corruption at the expense of service delivery staying on as a mayor. We welcome this news.”
Meanwhile, the DA in eThekwini has also welcomed reports that the ANC is recalling Mayor Zandile Gumede.
The DA says recalling Gumede is the first step in rooting out corruption in the municipality.
DA’s eThekwini municipality caucus leader Nicole Graham says they also want the 62 councillors who are allegedly being investigated to also face consequences…
“We are waiting for final confirmation. The information at this stage just reports. We are very glad I think and relieved this has finally happened. We have been calling for Gumede’s firing for a while now and it has taken the ANC long to come to a decision but we are glad there is some progress in this matter. It is important now that all those people who have worked with her, all those people who have benefited from what she has done – you know we are still looking at those 62 councillors who were mentioned in court papers having worked with her from our side, this is only the beginning of unravelling what is going on here in the city.”
Meanwhile, the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal says the ANC has missed the opportunity to take a stand and fight corruption in the eThekwini municipality.
IFP member of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature Velenkosini Hlabisa explains….
“This does not serve a good purpose in sending a clear message that the ANC wants to fight against corruption because the issue of eThekwini was a different matter and as the only metro which controls the huge budget which impacts on the lives of many people in KwaZulu-Natal. The ANC should have come out with a clear stand on the issue of corruption charges, not to brand it together as recalling her under the pretext that it is because of the poor performing municipalities.”
