Nongoma – Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has been ousted from control of Nongoma Local Municipality, in what has been described by the African National Congress (ANC) as the “great umbilical cord cutting”.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday said the “ousting of former IFP Mayor of Nongoma Local Municipality Cllr Albert Mncwango and all office bearers has administered the coup de grâce to Inkathas hopeless ambition to govern KwaZulu-Natal”.
Mncwango was voted out through a motion of no-confidence on Tuesday along with Speaker Bheki Zulu, also an IFP member.
The National Federation Party’s (NFP) Clifford Ndabandaba is the new mayor of Nongoma Local Municipality.
Ndabandaba said the NFP promises to be guided by the teachings of the partys late President Zanele Magwaza-Msibi in rendering services to the local community.
“She left a legacy of service to the people of Zululand District. As part of the preservation of her legacy, we will ensure that we touch the lives of the people in all corners of Nongoma,” said the NFP.
“We are humbled by the show of confidence in the NFP by the African National Congress and Economic Freedom Fighters our progressive coalition partners in the municipality.
“We congratulate Deputy Mayor Cllr Sabelo Nkosi of the EFF and the Speaker Babongile Sithole from the ANC.”
The NFP said it will work co-operatively with ANC and EFF to ensure the fulfilment of the objectives of local government as required by the Constitution of South Africa1996 Chapter 7.
The NFP also said it will keep its doors open to all chapter nine institutions such as the Public Projector, Human Rights Commission as well as the Auditor General.
“Critically, the NFP will work very closely with His Majesty Isilo Misuzulu KaZwelithini to drive all sectors of the economy in order to stimulate local economic development,” said the NFP.
“As the home of Zulu Royal Palaces, we have an ambition to make Nongoma an active social and economic center where investors can see the potential of rural areas as anchors of economic growth.”
Commenting further on the IFP’s ousting, the ANC said: “Pushed by the ideological backwardness that has characterised Inkatha, the ANC, the NFP, and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have today cut the umbilical cord for a new birth.
“We congratulate the new Mayor Cllr Mshangane Clifford Ndabandaba of the NFP, EFF’s Deputy Mayor Cllr Sabelo Nkosi, new Speaker Cllr Babongile Sithole, representing the ANC and former ANC Youth League leader.”
The EFF and the IFP recently had a public fallout that saw the former withdrawing its support for the latter, in KwaZulu-Natal municipalities where it governs in coalitions.
“The ANC, NFP and EFF councillors have collectively sent a strong message that they want to operate as a cohesive unit around one programme of action,” said the ANC.
“This programme is focusing on ensuring job creation, and access to economic opportunities building socio-economic infrastructure that benefits all and ensuring prosperity.
“As the ANC in the province, we support such a bold programme.
“Moving forward, all spheres of government will deploy resources to ensure good governance and stability in the municipality.”
The ANC said it was in support of all efforts aimed at ensuring the unity of leaders across all political lines.
“Unity refers to working together, cooperatively for a common purpose. Unity requires discipline, mutual respect, openness and trust. Unity is about agreeing to a joint programme of action and working together to ensure its success,” the ANC said.
“The people of this province are resisting any attempt to bring back the apartheid-style of governance. This is what the IFP and Democratic Alliance coalition seeks to achieve.
“Yesterday, the people of this province and the whole country had a glimpse of what the IFP-run provincial government could look like.”
The ANC said political intolerance and hooliganism was on display as IFP Councillors and its supporters went on a rampage preventing the sitting of the council.
“We all saw video clips of IFP councillors stripping naked in the council chamber,” the ANC said.
“Instead of using laws that govern the sitting of councils, IFP councillors used vulgar language with supporters singing songs with inflammatory lyrics.
“Apparently, this barbaric behaviour was sanctioned by the IFP senior leaders.”
The ANC warned the loss of Nongoma was the beginning of the voters’ rejection of the IFP in the province.
“The IFP must therefore brace itself for more rejection as it has started in Nongoma,” the ANC said.
