Sihle Mavuso presents the latest news from KwaZulu-Natal.
Kokstad – The IFP is angry that the ANC-run Kokstad municipality stopped it from hosting a rally in Kokstad on Wednesday. The rally was to be addressed by Thami Ntuli, the IFP’s premier candidate for KwaZulu-Natal. The move comes as the IFP gears up for the 29 May elections in which it wants to wrestle back control of the province from the ANC by reviving its old structure in southern KZN. The structure became dormant around 2004 when the IFP lost the province to the ANC for the first time since 1994. Kokstad’s municipal manager, Sipho Zwane, cited the rally’s lack of risk categorisation for the rally as one of the reasons for turning down the application to host the event.
Durban – The ANC-run eThekwini municipality says it is under no obligation to explain why the Princess Magogo stadium is “not available” to the MK Party to host a rally on 21 April. The municipality responded after Scrolla.Africa asked it to give more details about why MK’s application was declined. Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said: “The details of the event are between the client and the City. eThekwini Municipality is not at liberty to divulge such information to another potential client for any reason whatsoever.”
Richards Bay – The MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the province, Bongi Sithole-Moloi, has instructed the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay-Empangeni) to improve gun control and access on its premises. This follows a deadly shooting inside council chambers between the bodyguards of Mayor Xolani Ngwezi and city manager Nkosenye Zulu about two weeks ago. Sithole-Moloi met with the executive council yesterday to get a full briefing about the incident and gave instructions. The shooting is currently under investigation by the SAPS. The two bodyguards were buried over the weekend in Durban.
Nongoma – A feature film shot in Nongoma has been selected and nominated for awards in Los Angeles in the US in June. Zipped, features the likes of Thabo Mnguni, Felix Hlophe, Thah Simelane, and American actors Gregory Collier and Phyllis Turner. Buhle Khumalo stars as the leading actor, who lives with disabilities in real life. The film has a cast of 110 and boasts over 15 songs made especially for it. The film is believed to be the first of its kind in South Africa where a person with disabilities has the lead role and at least seven other cast members who are living with disabilities.
Durban – The corruption and fraud case against the managers of the city’s Expanded Public Works Programme – Xolani Vilana, Dumisani Nxumalo and Robert Nkosi – has been postponed to 30 April for representation. The marathon trial was supposed to kick off today at the Durban Commercial Crimes Court and run until Friday but was postponed. Vilana and the other suspects allegedly recruited ghost employees for the programme and were arrested in 2019.
Pictured above: The Durban court where the EPWP fraud and corruption case was briefly heard today.
Image source: Sihle Mavuso
