ANC KZN coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu
Residents of Impendle, a rural setting in the uMgungundlovu district in KwaZulu-Natal, are livid, lamenting service delivery woes amid ANC political tensions that have stalled the election of a new mayor.
“It is a terrible situation which is heavily felt by many communities, especially the poor. We are struggling with water and other critical services, and no one cares,” community member, Mnikelo Nkabinde, told the Mail&Guardian, lamenting the community’s anguish.
“The politicians are busy fighting among themselves over who should control the municipal purse. The residents are left in the cold to suffer.”
He said their woes were exacerbated by the severe storms, which left a trail of destruction. The storms in June destroyed homes and collapsed critical infrastructure, leaving residents in a state of repair.
The Impendle local municipality has failed to elect a new mayor following the unceremonious axing of ANC mayor Buyisani Mlaba in July.
Mlaba has been at the helm of the rural council since the 2021 municipal elections. He was booted out in a no-confidence vote, where ANC councillors allowed it to pass.
The move led to the ANC provincial leadership intervening to fill the vacancy by nominating three candidates, who were subsequently interviewed.
The Sowetan reported that Nonjabulo Ndlovu received the nod for the mayorship. Ndlovu is a community activist who grew up under the ranks of the ANC student wing, the South African Student Congress (SASCO). But an ANC cabal has vowed to make the municipality ungovernable if she were to be given the mayoral chain.
However, residents said all they saw were “greedy” councillors fighting for power.
“We do not care who becomes mayor. All we want as the people of Impendle is service delivery. As things stand, no IDPs have been conducted. This is where the residents get their opportunity to discuss issues of service delivery. All we see is greedy councillors fighting among themselves for power,” resident Nokukhanya Malinga said.
Residents have staged various protests in the area, wanting the election of the mayor to be accelerated.
As a rural town, Impendle generates little revenue, with 80% of its budget dependent on national government grants for service delivery.
ANC KZN coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu said, although the process to find a new mayor had unreasonably stalled, the ANC has concluded its internal process.
“We’re currently on the tail end of concluding the issue of Impendle. There will be a meeting to elect a mayor. It is a question of us dealing with the finer details,” Mabuyakhulu said.
Sfiso Zuma, an EFF councillor in the municipality, narrated how he was attacked while the council meeting to elect a new mayor was in motion.
“I fear for my life after ANC members stormed the council chambers and attacked me, accusing me of removing the previous mayor. We are dealing with ANC factions who are fighting for money and power. I have also written to the Cogta department to intervene,” said Zuma
He also said that the municipality has been turned into a piggy bank where projects are started and not finished, with money being siphoned off willy-nilly.
On Thursday, the council is expected to hold another meeting, hoping to elect a new mayor.