By Sihle Mavuso
The KwaDukuza Local Municipality has been directed to launch an investigation into allegations that an ANC councillor built a mansion on municipal land, while other occupants were evicted under a court order and had their homes demolished.
The directive to probe Ward 13 councillor Nkululeko Qwabe comes from KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, in a letter dated 7 April 2026.
The letter was addressed to municipal Speaker Dolly Govender, who is a fellow ANC member.
According to the correspondence, which was leaked to Inside Politics, COGTA’s intervention follows a whistleblower complaint also escalated to the provincial Department of Human Settlements. The land allegedly used by Qwabe was earmarked for the Steve Biko housing project.
The whistleblower claims the municipality was presented with substantial evidence of Qwabe’s alleged wrongdoing but failed to act, while taking a hard line against ordinary residents who occupied the same land and built homes.
“It is disturbing that the same municipality demolished the houses of people who bought land from an ANC councillor who later was appointed as an official. Why is the municipality not using the same court order to demolish Cllr Qwabe’s land? Why is Qwabe still a councillor while involved in corruption? Why have the Speaker and Municipal Manager not acted?” the whistleblower wrote in a letter sent to COGTA.
COGTA has since instructed Govender to institute an investigation and submit a report within 21 days.
“The alleged conduct of Councillor N. Qwabe of Ward 13 displays conduct at variance with the Code of Conduct for Councillors and, therefore, must be investigated in terms of the Code of Conduct for Councillors,” Buthelezi said.
He added that the Code empowers him to intervene where a municipality fails to act.
“The Speaker, as custodian of the Code of Conduct for Councillors, is accordingly directed to authorise an investigation into the facts and circumstances of the alleged breach and to provide a report on the outcome within a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt of this letter,” the department said.
Qwabe said the allegations are meant to tarnish his name.
“I want to let you know that these allegations made against me are false, unfounded, and misleading. At no point have I engaged in any illegal activity relating to unlawful building or misuse of municipal land,” Qwabe said.
He said the accusations were damaging to his reputation and undermined public trust in him as Ward 13 councillor.
“These claims not only damage my personal integrity but also undermine the trust placed in me by the community of Ward 13,” he said.
Qwabe further disputed claims that he personally benefited from the land in question, saying it belonged to his family.
“It is important to clarify a critical misrepresentation in the complaint. The property being referred to is not owned by me in my personal capacity. It belongs to my family, and any assertion suggesting that I have personally acquired or unlawfully benefited from such land is incorrect and misleading,” he said.
He also suggested the allegations may be politically motivated, coming ahead of local elections.
“I am concerned that the timing and nature of these allegations suggest that they may be politically motivated. As we approach local elections, it appears these claims are intended to tarnish my reputation and undermine my standing within the community for political gain,” he said.
The KwaDukuza Local Municipality and the provincial COGTA department had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
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