IFP and ANC plot to remove Umvoti mayor

IFP and ANC plot to remove Umvoti mayor

Durban — In a rare political development, the IFP and ANC have ganged up to remove the ABC’s Umvoti Local Municipality Mayor Philani Mavundla through a vote of no confidence.

The IFP has filed a motion which was supported by the ANC. The motion is expected to take place either this week or next. With ANC’s eight seats and IFP’s 10, Mavundla’s removal looks certain as his party has only six councillors.

Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday, Mavundla confirmed the motion against him. The speaker Mfundo Masondo, said he was not bothered by the motion and would remain in Greytown to continue serving people of Umvoti even if he was removed as the mayor.

Mavundla said the reason why the ANC no longer wanted him is because of his party policy position which advocates for independence of the Zulu nation which the ANC regards as tribalism.

“This is our party position which could not be changed by the ANC. We are clear what we want,” said Mavundla.

He said after falling out with the ANC for advocating for Zulu nationalism, he approached IFP in Umvoti but it turned down his request because the ANC has agreed to give mayoral and speaker positions to the IFP but ANC provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele has dismissed that, saying there is no agreement yet on positions allocation in the council, adding what parties have agreed to for now is remove Mavundla as the mayor. He cited Mavundla’s failure to manage relations as the main reason why the ANC no longer wanted to work with him.

“It is not true our problem with Mavundla is his push for KwaZulu-Natal independence. The man cannot manage relations, today he supports us then next he says something else so he has a problem. All parties in Umvoti want him gone,” said Mndebele.

IFP provincial chairman Thami Ntuli has not yet commented on the matter.

Mavundla’s fall out with the ANC could affect power balance in eThekwini. In retaliation, Mavundla has filed a motion against eThekwini Executive Committee (Exco) and is said to have won many smaller parties which are the key in keeping or removing the ANC in eThekwini. It was Mavundla that rescued the ANC in eThekwini after it failed to win the City with an outright majority in the local government elections.

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