THE Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Zululand is threatening to make the City of uMhlathuze ‘ungovernable’ until it draws the attention of national authorities to the local municipality’s infighting.
The opposition party was responding to findings of an investigation relating to alleged misconduct by the City’s former Deputy Municipal Manager: Corporate Services, Mbali Ndlovu.
Despite Ndlovu being exonerated in the report, the EFF told the Zululand Observer on Friday political infighting should not be allowed to continuously infiltrate the running of municipalities.
Local EFF spokesperson Nkululeko Ngubane said it was the Public Protector’s job to conduct such investigations and supported the DA’s call for intervention from her office.
‘You cannot set up a team to investigate your own comrades. The end result will always be the same. Misconduct will be swept under the carpet. As taxpayers we will no longer be idle about these matters.
‘This is a pattern. First there are charges, then they resign and get paid. Comrades are exposing each other at our cost,’ said Ngubane.
The party is busy organising a peaceful march to the municipality next month to protest against the use of ratepayer’s money to investigate corruption.
‘We are the highest paying ratepayers in the country and on top of that we pay for corruption. People in urban areas like Arboretum, Meerensee and Brackenham in Richards Bay are paying exorbitant rates compared to suburbs in Durban and people in rural areas are suffering. We will sit and camp out at the municipality until they listen to us.’
Resignation
The party is further calling for the resignation of City Mayor Elphas Mbatha and his ‘cronies’.
‘We will not be quiet. Factional disputes and power hungry tendencies are killing us. This infighting is the result of an ANC leadership battle in the region between current chairperson Thulani Mashaba and Cedric Gina, the former president of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa),’ Ngubane said.
As the fledgling party commemorates its first birthday on Thursday, the EFF said there was ‘no reason’ to celebrate.
‘EFF President Julius Malema will be at the University of Zululand to address our anniversary commemoration at 5pm. We cannot celebrate, but we will champion the needs of the people.
‘In 2016 (local government elections), we will be coming to this municipality with our red overalls. We will not be silent,’ said Ngubane.
Richards has dne well al these years ups en dwns bt richards bay handled itself,we do not need EFF in kzn
Jeremy, it is not a question of whether or not you need the EFF. It’s about ensuring a corrupt free municipality. The red revolution is here to stay and you better start embarrassing change, for all these years it’s been business as usual at the Municipality but that era is over.