Celani Sikhakhane
The senior leader of the IFP who accused the newly elected mayor of Nquthu in KZN of being a grade 5 drop out was removed at the eleventh hour from her position as deputy mayor and is facing expulsion from the party.
Nothile Zungu faced huge embarrassment after her recorded call, where she was gossiping about Mayor Zamo Shabalala, was leaked to social media platforms on Tuesday.
On Thursday she was expected to be sworn in as deputy mayor of Nquthu but after the leaked call she was removed.
She was only sworn in as an ordinary councillor of the IFP at the council meeting sitting at VA Makhoba Hall in Nquthu.
“She dug her own grave because of this and no one wants to be associated with her. Her Deputy post which she has been holding for almost 15 years was taken to Welile Ngobese,” one councillor who didn’t wish to be named confirmed. It is alleged that Zungu had a conversation with the former IFP Nquthu Mayor, Mabilabila Kunene who was expelled from the party in 2019.
Scrolla.Africa understood that Kunene recorded the whole conversation where Zungu was gossiping about the party leadership which she accused of taking bribes from those who wanted the mayoral position.
She went on to accuse Shabalala, the new mayor, of lying to the party by telling them that he is a qualified teacher and claimed that he dropped out from grade 5, which is standard three.
Zungu could not be reached for comment since her phone was off.
Shabalala told Scrolla.Africa that he has not had a chance to listen to the clip.
“I will be able to respond once I manage to listen to the clip. But the party spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa told me about it,” said Shabalala.
