JUST under 100 days before the soccer World Cup kicks off, the Mbombela municipality in Nelspruit has sacked its World Cup security boss.

JUST under 100 days before the soccer World Cup kicks off, the Mbombela municipality in Nelspruit has sacked its World Cup security boss.

It is believed that Mbom- bela mayor Lassy Chiwayo fired Welcome Nkuna from the hot seat because he is a close ally of Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza.

Chiwayo lost to Mabuza for the position of ANC provincial chairperson and the premiership in 2008 and since then the two do not see eye to eye.

"What surprises me is that during the 2008 elections I was lobbying for Chiwayo and now he sees me as a person closer to Mabuza," Nkuna said.

Nkuna said he was alerted to his imminent dismissal two weeks ago when he was told that Chiwayo and some officials had held a meeting the previous day "where it was concluded that I was an obstacle".

"Last Friday, together with Chiwayo, I attended the 2010 meeting in Pretoria and immediately after that meeting he approached me and told me that I must wait for the dismissal letter.

"He accused me of having a bad attitude towards him and said he was not comfortable working with me.

"Yesterday I was informed by my boss, provincial 2010 coordinator Differ Mogale, that Chiwayo told him I was no longer part of the 2010 unit of Mbombela anymore and that he was going to make an official announcement today."

"I don't report to Chiwayo. I report to Mogale and municipal manager Nora Mthembu. These are the people who were supposed to complain," Nkuna said.

Mogale confirmed he was informed about Nkuna's dismissal by Chiwayo yesterday.

Attempts to get comment from Chiwayo failed.