ANC can no longer hold eThekwini to ransom
10 July 2019
The ANC has once again put its own internal squabbles ahead of the people it is supposed to serve, with no real end in sight when it comes to Mayor Zandile Gumde’s extended absence.
Gumede’s 30-days leave of absence on fraud and corruption charges came to an end today. This after she was placed on leave by the ANC’s provincial executive committee (PEC), while it decided how to best handle the situation. The party also claimed that it would use the leave period to investigate allegations that the charges against her may have been politically motivated.
As usual it is proving hard for the ANC leadership to discipline those amongst their ranks. Instead of taking decisive leadership to remove Mayor Gumede, the ANC has instead allowed the Metro to become crippled under the weight of scandal after scandal.
There can also be no doubt that Premier Zikalala owes Gumede a big vote of thanks following his campaign victory and this is exactly why we are dealing with extended leave absences rather than the Metro Council being dissolved by the CoGTA MEC.
The DA is not interested in the ANC’s internal squabbling. What we are concerned about is whether the single biggest Metro in our province is being properly run in the interests of the many thousands of residents it serves. Right now, eThekwini is so compromised that the only logical solution is for it to be completely dissolved and placed under administration.
The DA has already called on the province’s CoGTA MEC, Sipho Hlomuka to do so - going so far as to request an urgent meeting with him. We are yet to receive any form of acknowledgement of this correspondence.
We have also tabled a Motion in the KZN Legislature calling for a debate on the matter and for Premier Zikalala to take leadership before eThekwini reaches the point of no return.
The ANC has shown that the party comes before the people. It can no longer hold the city to ransom while deciding which faction will win this round.
The DA will exhaust all avenues to ensure that the people of eThekwini are heard, services are delivered, and corruption is stopped.
Issued by Mbali Ntuli, MPL, DA eThekwini, 10 July 2019
