Zandile Gumede remains on special leave, no decision on her fate yet - ANC
10 July 2019
The eThekwini municipality will have to wait a bit longer to find out if the embattled Zandile Gumede will be returning to her mayoral post because the provincial ANC has not yet reached a decision about her fate, despite her special leave ending this week.
As a result, the special leave will be extended and the status quo will remain while the party continues to work on a resolution, ANC provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli told journalists on Wednesday.
The party has been locked in meetings over the past two days to deal with the matter.
"We are almost done with the work that was assigned to the task team by the provincial working committee. That work is almost complete, it will be processed by the next meeting of the provincial working committee," Ntuli said outside the ANC headquarters.
The next provincial working committee meeting is expected to take place at the end of July.
"We expect the comrades affected to remain on leave [and] to wait for the organisation to complete a process they are familiar with in the way of their participation into the same process."
Once a decision is reached, the ANC expects Gumede to heed instruction from leadership.
Gumede, known as a staunch supporter of former president Jacob Zuma and a heavyweight in KZN politics, was the subject of an ANC provincial working committee meeting this week.
Ntuli previously said she was placed on leave so that the ANC could delve into the criminal charges against her.
Gumede is out on R50 000 bail after she was arrested for fraud and corruption relating to a R208m waste removal tender.
During her month-long leave, the ANC team investigated a number of matters related to Gumede, including the bail conditions and what the impact would be on operations in the eThekwini metro should she return.
Since her exit from office, Gumede's supporters have marched to the ANC's headquarters in the province on three occasions.
During a June march, they clashed with the police after they demanded that her "suspension" be lifted and the disbandment of the regional task team.
Gumede said at the time that she fully expects to come back as mayor once her special leave ends.
