Durban — The Active Citizens Coalition political party says the no confidence motion against eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda would go ahead as planned on Thursday, despite the EFF “breaking up” with the IFP.
In its annual plenum at the weekend, EFF leader Julius Malema announced that his party has pulled out of coalition agreements with the IFP in all municipalities.
Malema ordered all EFF deputy mayors, appointed as a result of the agreement, to resign with immediate effect.
The EFF has seven deputy mayors in IFP-led municipalities. This includes Zululand, where the EFF became a kingmaker with one seat after the ANC/NFP coalition tied with the IFP at 18 seats.
It is unclear how the Zululand municipality will be governed if the EFF decides to abstain.
The IFP faces the dilemma of losing 13 municipalities. Reacting to the announcement from Malema, ACC leader Imitiaz Syed told Daily News on Sunday that plans to remove Kaunda were still in place and, as political parties, they would not back down because of the EFF’s new stance.
Syed said the EFF – in the last council meeting which saw former deputy mayor Philani Mavundla ousted – had clearly demonstrated that it did not want Kaunda to continue as mayor. As a result, Syed did not believe that the party would instruct its councillors to keep Kaunda in power just because it had problems with the IFP.
“We do not think that the EFF’s decision to end the relationship with the IFP in the province will affect our plan to get rid of Kaunda.
“Ours is not about coalition, but we are united in ensuring that Kaunda is removed. I think the EFF must decide what would be in the best interests of the people of eThekwini,” said Syed.
DA caucus leader Thabani Mthethwa said he also did not think the EFF would want to keep Kaunda in power. He hoped and urged EFF councillors to do what would be in the best interests of people who are affected by the ANC’s poor administration of the city. Mthethwa said his party caucus would meet on Monday and discuss their approach.
The IFP’s Mdu Nkosi also said his party caucus would meet on Monday to discuss how the party would vote in the eThekwini council.
Both the ANC and the DA-led blocs need the EFF with its 24 votes to govern eThekwini.
According to the plan that was to be used by the DA-led bloc to win the deputy mayor and chief whip positions at a botched council meeting last week, the EFF was to vote for the IFP’s Nkosi to be deputy mayor alongside Syed as new chief whip.
EFF KZN provincial chairperson Mongezi Thwala said cutting ties with the IFP did not mean an automatic coalition with the ANC.
Meanwhile, Syed said he had written to speaker Thabani Nyawose, demanding answers as to why the council meeting would be held virtually.
He said he and the parties that wanted Kaunda out did not understand the rationale behind holding council meetings virtually after the Covid-19 regulations were ended.
If the speaker refused to change it to a physical meeting, he was contemplating taking legal action against the speaker, Syed said.
Daily News