THE City of uMhlathuze officially has its new mayor after a leadership reshuffle saw the green light given to speaker, Cllr Mduduzi Mhlongo for the top post.
After months of speculation, the ANC Regional Executive Committee (REC) formally announced their decision on Friday to recall current mayor Cllr Elphas Mbatha ahead of the local government elections.
With Mhlongo at the helm, Ward 22 Cllr Mfundo Mthenjana steps in as the new speaker, which will officially come into effect at the next Council meeting, possibly as early as this week.
As previously reported by the Zululand Observer, the decision to remove Mbatha was taken at a REC meeting in March and the recommendation was forwarded to the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC).
‘This was done after a thorough assessment of all municipalities controlled by the ANC,’ Chairperson of the ANC Musa Dladla region, Thulani Mashaba told a media briefing in Empangeni on Friday.
‘The PEC finally agreed that the mayor be removed and informed him of the decision last week,’ said Mashaba.
Alluding to the reasoning behind the move, Mashaba said that the ANC had taken note of the utterances of the mayor regarding the performance of the municipality.
‘Every deployee has a responsibility. When you see challenges in your department, be part of solving the problem and do not become a whistle blower, especially when you are the captain of the ship.
‘Don’t stand on the ship and shout while passengers and crew jump into the sea and drown.’
Contribution
At at the same time, the ANC acknowledged the contribution made by Mbatha during his tenure which began in March 2011.
‘It is a sad day for us as the ANC. It is not a decision that will be celebrated.
‘We wish to thank Cllr Mbatha for his contribution to the region as mayor and councillor.
‘He brought tremendous experience and contributed to change in the municipality.
‘We thank him for his leadership and during his time, the municipality achieved a clean audit in two consecutive years.
‘Although it is not easy, he has taken it kindly and accepted the decision.’
Questioned about the possible redeployment of Mbatha, Mashaba said they were still in discussions with the outgoing mayor and it was an ‘internal matter’.
‘The ANC is a caring organisation. We don’t just throw away our members.
‘Maybe, Mbatha might opt to hang his boots and rest especially at his age. But if he decides to retire, that would be his decision and he still remains a loyal member of the ANC.’
Welcoming in a ‘young and energetic’ new mayor, Mashaba said the ruling party is confident Mhlongo will take the municipality to greater heights.
@RonelleRamsamy
