ANC to file motion of no confidence in KwaDukuza mayor Lindile Nhaca for refusing to resign

The ANC will file a motion of no confidence in KwaDukuza local municipality mayor Lindile Nhaca.
The ANC will file a motion of no confidence in KwaDukuza local municipality mayor Lindile Nhaca.
Image: KwaDukuza local municipality Facebook page

The ANC in the KwaDukuza municipality in KwaZulu-Natal will file a motion of no confidence against its own member, mayor Lindile Nhaca, after she refused to resign as instructed by the party’s provincial leadership.

Nhaca was suspended by the ANC provincial leadership (PEC) last month and recalled as mayor of the north coast municipality.

Her suspension barred her from attending party meetings, including municipal caucus and council meetings and holding community meetings as a party representative.

The PEC met the KwaDukuza regional executive committee (REC) on Wednesday to provide feedback on the NEC meeting, which took place two days earlier at Luthuli House, regarding the Nhaca situation.

“They explained the NEC had endorsed the decision to recall the mayor and all the processes the PEC had recommended in that regard,” Thandeka Ngidi-Mkhize, ANC spokesperson in the General Gizenga Mpanza Regional ANC — which includes KwaDukuza — told TimesLIVE.

The provincial leadership said it expected Nhaca to tender her resignation by Thursday.

It was decided should she refuse the party would instruct its councillors in the municipality to sign a petition to remove her forcefully through a vote of no confidence in a special council meeting.

“Should any councillor refuse, then they will be taken through disciplinary processes for failing to abide by party resolutions. We would rather have a by-election than have councillors who disrespect the ANC,” Ngidi-Mkhize said.

She confirmed Nhaca had not submitted her resignation letter to the municipality or party.

ANC KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Mafika Mndebele confirmed a motion of no confidence against her was the party’s next course of action.

Technically we have not received anything in writing from the ANC nor the mayor herself, so are still in the dark about that situation
Sifiso Zulu, KwaDukuza municipal spokesperson

On Friday the party interviewed six mayoral candidates to replace Nhaca:

  • speaker Dolly Govender;
  • ward 29 councillor Sicelinjabulo Cele, who was reportedly identified by provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo as a potential mayoral replacement in a leaked voicenote of a meeting between the KwaDukuza and provincial ANC leadership in July;
  • Thobekihle Dube;
  • Tarzan Naicker;
  • Ali Ngidi; and
  • Celiwe Mwandla.

“The reason they were shortlisted is because the requirements from the ANC were for the candidate to have matric and another higher education qualification.”

KwaDukuza municipal spokesperson Sifiso Zulu said they only heard about Nhaca's suspension through the media.

“Technically we have not received anything in writing from the ANC nor the mayor herself, so are still in the dark about that situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DA submitted a motion to remove Govender as council speaker on Monday, citing her refusal to call a special sitting to engage the council on the leadership uncertainty since Nhaca’s suspension by the ANC.

“Due to the blatant refusal of the speaker of council to call a special council meeting to deal with the leadership vacuum in council, we move for the immediate removal of councillor Govidammal 'Dolly' Govender as the speaker of council in line with rule 29 of the standing rules of order,” said DA councillor Privi Makhan in her notice of motion.

Makhan said this had left the council in “disarray due to political factionalism within the ANC” and their efforts to engage Govender to take the council into confidence had been met with “overwhelming resistance”.

She said Govender’s inaction showed an inability to conduct the business of council in an impartial manner.

“The speaker’s role in a municipality is key to ensuring oversight, accountability, integrity and the effective running of council meetings. The speaker must distinguish between her activities as a politician and her functions as a speaker.”

She called on other opposition parties to support the DA motion and “dismantle” the ANC. “This motion will set a trajectory for the removal of the ANC in the KwaDukuza council, who continue to govern with arrogance through their illicit alliances.”

Zulu confirmed that Govender, as speaker, had received the motion for her removal and explained why she had not called the meeting as yet.

“The motion has been received. However, in the absence of any correspondence from the ANC or the representative it intends to recall, the speaker has no basis to call a meeting because the meeting will have nothing to process,” he said.

“It must be noted that the ANC needs to write to the municipal manager, who in turn will advise the IEC. The ANC will need to supplement its list so that the vacancy can be declared and filled accordingly.”

TimesLIVE


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