By Sihle Mavuso
The ANC’s eThekwini regional leadership has downplayed the defection of two former councillors to the Democratic Alliance (DA), describing them as individuals who had already been rejected by their communities before leaving the party.
The response follows the DA’s announcement on Tuesday that former Ward 8 councillor Marco Mbambo and former Ward 16 councillor David Ngubane had joined the party ahead of the November 4 local government elections.
At the unveiling, the DA claimed more ANC councillors would defect in the coming months. DA eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen urged what he described as the “few good people left in the ANC” to join the party before it was too late.
His remarks echoed those of DA KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Dean Macpherson, who said the contest for control of eThekwini would be between the DA and the MK Party, dismissing the ANC, IFP and ActionSA as no longer serious contenders.
ANC eThekwini regional coordinator Thanduxolo Sabelo rejected the DA’s claims, saying the party had not secured significant political figures.
“Expelled former councillor Marco Mbambo failed to meet the threshold to contest the community meeting organised by the ANC, as the community of Ward 8 clearly rejected his continued leadership. The ANC, together with the community, went on to nominate new candidates,” Sabelo said.
He added that Ngubane had similarly lost the confidence of Ward 16 residents.
“Former councillor David Ngubane of Ward 16 was also recently rejected by the community and desperately tried to cling to power by appealing the processes but was rejected again in the rerun process. Members of the community have clearly spoken about these two individuals,” he said.
Sabelo further alleged that the DA had hurriedly arranged its media briefing because it knew the ANC was preparing disciplinary action against Ngubane.
“The real reason these two traitors defected to the DA is not because they yearn to serve their communities. They are desperately seeking employment as they will clearly be without deployment from their respective wards,” he claimed.
Speaking at the DA media briefing, Mbambo denied allegations that he had acted as a DA spy while serving in the ANC, saying he was deeply hurt by the accusation.
He said it was painful to be expelled from a party he had joined shortly after its unbanning in 1990 by people who became members much later.
Ngubane said he resigned from the ANC in solidarity with Mbambo, whom he described as a longtime political ally.
The DA said both Mbambo and Ngubane would contest their former wards under its banner in the upcoming local government elections and expressed confidence they could wrest the seats from the ANC.
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