Celani Sikhakhane
ANC and IFP leaders could land up in a dilemma over their surprise coalition agreement – as it is already being rejected by their councillors on the ground.
On Thursday chaotic scenes played out at the inauguration of the Big 5 Hlabisa Local Municipality where ANC councillors were seen mobilising EFF councillors to vote with them against the IFP in uMkhanyakude District Municipality.
IFP Mayor Comfort Khumalo managed to get elected unopposed with his Deputy Hlengiwe Mngomezulu and Speaker Welcome Shangase.
The issue so angered IFP leaders who were in KwaHlabisa that they called their senior leadership telling them the ANC was plotting behind their backs.
“This is nonsensical. The ANC is plotting against us while we are busy thinking they will honour the coalition agreement. Do we even have anything on paper which forces all of us to follow this agreement?,” an angry IFP deployee was heard talking over the phone outside Hlabisa chambers.
Scrolla.Africa understands that IFP councillors were plotting against the ANC to take over Newcastle and uMhlathuze municipalities, which are economic hubs in the province.
IFP Provincial Secretary, Xolani Dube said that they would rather go into a by-election than allow the ANC to take the municipality through the back door.
The coalition agreement that was signed by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and IFP’s Mangosuthu Buthelezi is that the party with the biggest numbers take over the municipality.
The agreement also forced the ANC to withdraw the renaming of Zululand after Mzala Nxumalo and Mangosuthu Buthelezi Highway after Griffith Mxenge in uMlazi.
IFP’s Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the ANC councillors’ plotting won’t help them in any way because the IFP is in the majority, especially in Hlabisa.
ANC KZN spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said they are still going to meet in the provincial executive committee to get a proper briefing about the agreement.
