THE ANC Musa Dladla Region has dismissed rumours that calls for uThungulu District Mayor Thembeka Mchunu to step down is being orchestrated by a faction within the ruling party itself.
This comes after the IFP last week questioned Mchunu’s dual role as First Lady of KZN and District Mayor, adding that she should be working full-time in the Premier’s office.
IFP Leader in the KZN Legislature Blessed Gwala said the Premier had to lead by example by ‘telling his wife to vacate her position as uThungulu Mayor’.
‘She has failed to provide services to the people of uThungulu and she has not delivered as First Lady of the province. This is totally unacceptable,’ said Gwala.
‘When I raised this matter the ANC disputed it, but now it is alleged they want to remove her as mayor. We cannot allow the situation where some people are protected because they are married to senior ANC leaders and are therefore untouchable,’ Gwala said.
Speaking exclusively to the Zululand Observer on Friday, Chairperson of the ANC Musa Dladla Region and uThungulu District Deputy Mayor, Thulani Mashaba, said the ‘comments of the IFP were not the comments of the ANC’.
‘The IFP is missing the point. Mayors are not appointed by Premiers. In terms of service delivery we are doing very well at uThungulu. If there is failure, it is all of us, not just the mayor. This is just an opportunistic attempt by a struggling party,’ said Mashaba.
Opposition faction
When questioned whether the mayor’s resignation call was linked to a plot by an opposition faction within the ANC to oust her husband Senzo from his post as Premier, Mashaba dismissed any claims of dissension.
According to a City Press report last week, the faction in the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) was allegedly led by ANC Provincial Secretary Sihle Zikalala and Mashaba.
‘We cannot be involved in removing any Premier as this person is appointed by the PEC,‘ From the time I entered politics in the late 1980s, I have never been involved in factions to remove people,’ said Mashaba.
Zikalala said, ‘Working in the spousal office is not a full-time position and the IFP knows that, but it has decided to spin the matter as part of its campaign to rekindle its lost political fortunes.
‘Thembeka is still the mayor of uThungulu and we are satisfied with her performance,’ Zikalala said.
