Celani Sikhakhane
The IFP speaker of Madlangeni Local Municipality in Newcastle may have survived a deadly crash with a train, but he now faces some serious disciplinary charges.
Mzonjani Mthethwa was travelling in a municipal Toyota FJ Cruiser from Utrecht to the IFP registration campaign when the car was hit by a train in Blood River in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday afternoon.
Mthethwa was travelling with his driver, bodyguard, Bheki Mdladla, who was killed in the accident, and two female passengers.
Details surrounding the accident have raised questions among authorities, and Mthethwa could now face a slew of disciplinary charges:
- The two female occupants were not allowed to be in the car according to municipal rules.
- The car was allegedly taken from the municipal vehicle fleet without authorisation.
- It is also reported that there was alcohol inside the car.
- Scrolla.Africa has been reliably informed that Mthethwa took the vehicle on Wednesday and was supposed to take it back the following day but he didn’t.
The Municipal Manager at Madlangeni, Sydney de Klerk, told Scrolla.Africa on Monday that if all the allegations are true he will report the matter to the KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sipho Hlomuka.
At that stage, Hlomuka will then proceed with instituting disciplinary charges against Mthethwa.
“I have been trying to contact the detectives from Kingsley police station to get the details but I have not received anything so far. If all these rumours are true, he will face disciplinary charges,” said de Klerk.
Mthethwa has been the speaker of the council for three weeks following the resignation of the EFF speaker, Futhi Mlambo.
KZN police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed that police are investigating a case of culpable homicide.
The IFP believe that there was foul play which led to the accident.
On the scene, police found a loud hailer which was going to be used for the IFP campaign.
