eThekwini Municipality continues paying councillor behind bars on a murder charge

28 April 2023

The DA in eThekwini is concerned with the ANC-led eThekwini Municipality using tax payers’ money to pay an incarcerated councillor who has been in prison for at least 10 months, awaiting trial for the murder of a former ANC ward candidate shortly before the 2021 local government elections.

The DA in KZN has raised the issue with CoGTA, which has also written to the municipality. The DA will escalate this matter by writing to the Speaker of Council and city manager, requesting that councillor Mzimuni Ngiba be suspended.

During a council meeting on Wednesday, April 26 2023, the DA posed the question to council speaker Thabani Nyawose, who confirmed that councillor Mzimuni Ngiba is indeed still getting paid despite being behind bars.

Ward 101 in Manor Gardens and Mayville continues to be without an active councillor, yet a suspected murderer is being paid.

The Co-operative Governance Department should have handled this waste of funds months ago, yet it has done nothing. The procedures to be taken when there is a severe infringement of the code are outlined in Schedule 7 of the Municipal Structures Act. “According to the act, the matter should also have been investigated and brought to full council in eThekwini for discussion, something that is yet to be done.

Considering the serious nature of the charges against Ngiba, he should have been suspended pending the outcome of his trial.

Issued by Vincent Mkhize, DA eThekwini Caucus Chief Whip, 28 April 2023