Court ruling puts IFP back in power in Nongoma local municipality

The IFP says a court ruling in its favour on the validity of a special council sitting that saw the party removed from power in Nongoma municipality is a glaring indictment of KwaZulu-Natal's Cogta MEC, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi. 

The IFP came up victorious at the Pietermaritzburg high court on its challenge of the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs’ special council sitting that ousted its mayor in Nongoma. 

“It's further vindication of the IFP, and a glaring indictment of the MEC and Cogta. It's a victory for democracy and rule of law,” party spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said.

The sitting in question elected the NFP's Mshangane Ndabandaba as mayor and Babongile Sithole of the ANC as speaker. It was convened by a Cogta team in absence of the IFP after complaints from the ANC coalition that the IFP was refusing to call the sitting to debate a motion of no confidence in its mayor and speaker. 

The IFP had said the opposition’s motion was flawed and defective in terms of the standing rules.

Reacting to the court victory, the IFP said it had been vindicated and accused Sithole-Moloi of abusing her power to politically help her party, the ANC, in the matter. 

“Quite clearly the MEC is unable to explain and defend her blatant abuse of power. The ANC is hell-bent on weaponising Cogta as a tool to fight its battles; to the absolute detriment of the constitution and related local government legislation,” Hlengwa added.

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