SIhle Mavuso presents the latest news from KwaZulu-Natal.
Eshowe – Angered by the decision of FNB to freeze outgoing payments from the account of former president Jacob Zuma, a group of uMkhonto Wesizwe party members staged a picket outside the branch of the bank in Eshowe in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Fearing chaos, bank officials notified the police who came to manage the crowd that later dispersed.
Ulundi – King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has formed a committee of 10 Amakhosi and Zulu royals to look into the incident when ANC KZN chairperson Siboniso Duma grabbed the microphone from his traditional prime minister, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, on Saturday at KwaCeza. The committee will be chaired by Inkosi Sifiso Shinga from the South Coast. The Zulu King described Duma’s conduct as “unbecoming, provocative and un-African” according to a statement issued on Friday on behalf of the King. The King said the tradition of people being allowed to express themselves is entrenched in Zulu culture and thus any action that forcefully deprives any person of their right to speak, irrespective of that person’s message or status, is an assault on the values of the nation.
Nongoma – The KwaZulu-Natal commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has assured the people of the province that the police will protect their right to associate with any political party. Mkhwanazi made these assurances at the launch of the Multi-Party Political Intervention Committee in Nongoma. The committee is aimed at ensuring political tolerance, peace and stability before, during and after the upcoming national and provincial elections. Nongoma has been flagged by the police as the epicentre of political killings and intolerance in the province.
Chatsworth – An oversight visit to RK Khan Hospital in Durban by a DA delegation led by Chris Pappas, the party’s premier candidate for KwaZulu-Natal, hit a wall when it was denied access by officials and security guards. The DA claimed that its delegation was blocked even though it had given the hospital prior written notice. It said this raises questions about what exactly the KwaZulu-Natal health department under MEC Nomagugu Simelane is trying to hide.
Pietermaritzburg – This year’s Comrades marathon between Durban and Pietermaritzburg will have the shortest route ever. The organisers of the marathon said it will be 85,91km, nearly 820m shorter than the last uprun in 2019. This is because this year the race has had to accommodate ongoing roadworks at the Umlaas Road Interchange and will follow a route through the suburbs of Cleland and Pelham, similar to that used in 2013 and 2015.
Pictured above: MK party members staged a picket outside the FNB branch in Eshowe.
Image source: Supplied
