IFP to challenge Nongoma no-confidence vote
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) says it will launch an urgent court bid to have a Nongoma Local Municipality Council sitting declared unlawful.
Mayor and IFP member Albert Mncwango and speaker Bheki Zulu were booted out of office during a motion of no-confidence vote.
A special sitting was called on Tuesday after the IFP allegedly tried to stop the meeting from going ahead.
Some party members are said to have blocked the entrance with sand and intimidated staff and other councillors on Monday.
The IFP's provincial chair Thami Ntuli says the rules for a special sitting were not followed.
"They petitioned the speaker and the speaker saw some flaws in terms of the standing rules and orders of the council in terms of compliance and advised them that I want you to correct the flaws. Instead of doing that, they wrote to their MEC and the MEC acted grossly in contravention."
A new coalition of the ANC, EFF and NFP has since taken over in the rural municipality.
The NFP's Mshangane Ndabandaba was voted in as mayor.
"We want to take this opportunity and promise the people of KwaNongoma that our mayor is going to make sure that service delivery remains the priority of the municipality," says the party's Canaan Mdleteshe.
Meanwhile, the ANC's Babongile Sithole was elected speaker.
The party's Ntokozo Nxumalo says they have confidence in the newly-elected council members.
"I think the people of Nongoma were tired of the IFP. IFP used to be strong here it was a no-go area in Nongoma."
