The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it has given uMngeni acting municipal manager until Monday to reconvene the council or face court action.
DA KwaZulu-Natal Chairperson and MP Dean Macpherson said his party “has written to uMngeni acting municipal manager, Sandile Buthelezi, giving him until Monday, 15 November 2021, to reconvene the inaugural council meeting”.
Macpherson added: “Should Mr. Buthelezi fail to do so, the DA will approach the Pietermaritzburg High Court on an urgent basis to compel him to call the council meeting.
“We have also made it explicitly clear that the DA will seek a personal costs order against Buthelezi should we end in court.”
On Friday, the DA walked out in protest at what was supposed to be the inauguration and swearing-in of the new mayor and his team because it was presided over by a suspended official.
“In our extensive letter, we make it very clear there can be no doubt that he is the lawful acting municipal manager after he stood back and watched the suspended municipal manager, Thembeka Cibane, run the show in violation of her suspension conditions,” said the KwaZulu-Natal DA chairperson.
Macpherson said the DA will spare no expense or legal resource to ensure uMngeni mayor-elect, Chris Pappas, his deputy Sandile Mnikathi, and Speaker-Elect Janis Holmes, “are lawfully elected so that we can start to deliver services to the residents of the municipality”.
He added: “We hope Mr. Buthelezi will come to his senses and put the interests of the residents of his municipality first over political trickery”.
Buthelezi was yet to respond to the letter by Sunday morning.
