, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has been central to an alleged effort to instigate a motion of no confidence against ANC mayor of the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, Siphile Mdaka - a move the party has described as an “abuse of office.”){kind=link}
By Akani Nkuna
The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has accused the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) of colluding with the National Freedom Party (NFP) to “undermine” ANC leaders, alleging that their actions are destabilising political arrangements, unity, and governance in the province.
The ANC claims that the IFP MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has been central to an alleged effort to instigate a motion of no confidence against ANC mayor of the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, Siphile Mdaka – a move the party has described as an “abuse of office.”
“This follows the ousting of the ANC as the leader of the UMkhanyakude District Municipality where the IFP directed the skulduggery behind the scenes to achieve its selfish political ends.
The ousting of the ANC had nothing to do with the performance of the municipality, but it is clear that it was a brazen heist which had failed on previous occasions,” said ANC KZN spokesperson Fanle Sibisi.
Mdaka was replaced by the IFP’s Comfort Khumalo, while the NFP’s Zodwa Mtshali retained her position as deputy mayor.
In July, the ANC opposed plans to place the municipality under administration amid allegations of maladministration, poor financial management, and corruption. At the time, the party said that such measures should be used only as a last resort, insisting that the challenges facing the municipality could still be remedied without drastic action — particularly the removal of Mdaka.
Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke had asked Buthelezi to intervene in the persistent governance failures, including the municipality’s inability to implement a credit and debt collection policy. Maluleke warned that continued irregularities could inflict long-term damage, saying the municipality risked “devastating” financial losses.
“The failure of the accounting officer to take appropriate action to address the material irregularity led to a decision by the AGSA’s material irregular committee to approve reporting in the audit report of the municipality… with recommendations on the steps the accounting officer should take within a stipulated period,” Maluleke wrote.
Despite the Auditor-General’s findings, the ANC’s provincial leadership maintains that Mdaka’s removal is unjustified and not in the best interests of residents. Describing the move as a “betrayal,” the party said it would consult both provincial and national structures before deciding on its next course of action.
“The ANC will not allow its integrity to be compromised or its communities destabilised by those who claim unity in public, but practice sabotage in private. If the IFP has abandoned the spirit of unity, it must have the courage to publicly declare so rather than clandestinely pursuing cheap and deceitful manoeuvres,” Sibisi said.
IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa but was unavailable for comment at the time of publishing.
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