“They wanted me to account and we have no problem with that, but we are against them storming to people's houses and doing as they please. We don't think that's the right approach.”
Mavundla was ousted as the deputy mayor in a vote of no-confidence against him in December. He resigned from the eThekwini council last week.
He said he was surprised to be one of the public representatives who got a door-to-door visit as he believed the ABC did everything expected of the party during his time in the city.
“During my time in eThekwini I thought my work was visible because I did everything above board. We recorded everything that was happening. I have almost 100 letters expressing concerns over the (lack of) service delivery. I made visits every Thursday, all concerning service delivery,” he said.
He said his party was setting up a meeting with members of Umsinsi to iron out their issues.
The ABC is part of eThekwini council and should be involved in finding solutions to service delivery issues, even though he was no longer in the council, Mavundla said.
“We’ve taken a decision to invite members of Umsinsi movement so Xolani Dube and his group can explain what their problem is and we can tell our side. We want to have a dialogue so we can answer their questions in person and find common ground.”
He said among their grievances was that he didn’t explain his reasons for leaving the leadership of the city. Mavundla said there was little he could do about it because he was removed from the executive committee in a vote of no-confidence and the reason he resigned was because the party decided there was little difference he could make in the city.
Mavunlda said he believed they should direct their grievances and issues about service delivery and the housing situation to the ANC.
However, he did not close the door on working with the ANC in other municipalities.
He said his difference with the ANC in eThekwini does not necessarily mean the ABC cannot work with the ANC elsewhere as they did not work on a “blanket approach” when it comes to coalitions.
“In Harding, under Umzwabantu district, we are in partnership with the ANC. We have a deputy mayor there and we work well. In Umnambithi we are in coalition with the IFP and we work very well with them. We may be at odds with the ANC in eThekwini but we don’t work on a blanket approach. We look at the situation and the relationship in that area and take it from there,” he said.
Umsinsi Wokuzimilela has been approached for comment. The story will be updated once their response is received.
TimesLIVE
Abantu Batho Congress president to meet group that pitched up at his house at the weekend
Image: Sandile Ndlovu
Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) president Philani Mavundla will meet members of the Umsinsi Wokuzimilela movement this week after they pitched up at his house over the weekend.
Mavundla’s home in Kloof, Durban, was the latest the civil rights movement group “visited” in their controversial “door-to-door” to houses of politicians in their quest for accountability.
They started with KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube in January. On Saturday they went to the King’s House before proceeding to the former eThekwini mayor’s house on the same day.
That drew condemnation from the ABC and Mavundla, who slammed the group for their action.
In a media briefing on Tuesday, Mavundla reiterated he supported the movement’s idea of holding politicians to account but not their approach.
“As public representatives we should engage our communities on what we are doing,” he said.
Ousted eThekwini deputy mayor resigns from council
“They wanted me to account and we have no problem with that, but we are against them storming to people's houses and doing as they please. We don't think that's the right approach.”
Mavundla was ousted as the deputy mayor in a vote of no-confidence against him in December. He resigned from the eThekwini council last week.
He said he was surprised to be one of the public representatives who got a door-to-door visit as he believed the ABC did everything expected of the party during his time in the city.
“During my time in eThekwini I thought my work was visible because I did everything above board. We recorded everything that was happening. I have almost 100 letters expressing concerns over the (lack of) service delivery. I made visits every Thursday, all concerning service delivery,” he said.
He said his party was setting up a meeting with members of Umsinsi to iron out their issues.
The ABC is part of eThekwini council and should be involved in finding solutions to service delivery issues, even though he was no longer in the council, Mavundla said.
“We’ve taken a decision to invite members of Umsinsi movement so Xolani Dube and his group can explain what their problem is and we can tell our side. We want to have a dialogue so we can answer their questions in person and find common ground.”
He said among their grievances was that he didn’t explain his reasons for leaving the leadership of the city. Mavundla said there was little he could do about it because he was removed from the executive committee in a vote of no-confidence and the reason he resigned was because the party decided there was little difference he could make in the city.
Mavunlda said he believed they should direct their grievances and issues about service delivery and the housing situation to the ANC.
However, he did not close the door on working with the ANC in other municipalities.
He said his difference with the ANC in eThekwini does not necessarily mean the ABC cannot work with the ANC elsewhere as they did not work on a “blanket approach” when it comes to coalitions.
“In Harding, under Umzwabantu district, we are in partnership with the ANC. We have a deputy mayor there and we work well. In Umnambithi we are in coalition with the IFP and we work very well with them. We may be at odds with the ANC in eThekwini but we don’t work on a blanket approach. We look at the situation and the relationship in that area and take it from there,” he said.
Umsinsi Wokuzimilela has been approached for comment. The story will be updated once their response is received.
TimesLIVE
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