By Lungani Zungu
Embattled eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda is next in the firing line now that the EFF and ANC squad have elbowed out his deputy, Philani Mavundla.
Julius Malema’s red berets are now said to be eyeing the deputy mayoral position in the metro, which boasts a cool budget of R55 billion.
The position is the prize for helping the ANC elbow out Mavundla.
Alone, the ANC could well have failed to remove Mavundla during the no-confidence vote against him on Tuesday as it does not have a majority in the council of 222 seats.
Mavundla is the president of Abantu Botho Congress, a party that helped the ANC along with smaller parties to retain power in the metro after failing to win with an outright majority in last year’s local polls.
The ANC has 96 seats in the council, 16 seats short of the majority that the party had enjoyed until last year’s local polls when it slid below 50% – down to 42% from 56% in the 2016 local polls.
With the help of the EFF’s 24 seats, the ANC now wields massive power in the council but is at the mercy of the red berets.
The ANC and EFF are said to have hatched a plan to topple Kaunda – who has been facing a flood of criticism over the poor conditions of Durban beaches.
Sources aware of the plan to remove the mayor said the writing is on the wall for Kaunda.
“They will use his failure to clean Durban as the reason for asking him to step aside. If he declines to step down, he will be force-voted out just like Mavundla,” said an ANC councillor in eThekwini.
ANC councillor Nkosenhle Madlala, who is also deputy chairperson of the ANC in the eThekwini region, is said to be waiting in the wings to take power when Kaunda falls.
Speculation is rife that Kaunda will be removed early next year. His term expires at the next local government elections in 2026.
The EFF is playing its cards very close to its chest.
Nkululeko Ngubane, the EFF’s provincial secretary, said: “We have not decided what we want in eThekwini Municipality as yet. All we wanted to do was to remove Madlala from the position.”
He said all the decisions about the party’s position in the eThekwini municipality would come from the national leadership down to the regions.
The ANC’s Madlala could not be reached for comment.
Pictured above: The now former eThekwini deputy mayor Philani Mavundla (wearing a short sleeve shirt) and the embattled mayor Mxolisi Kaunda
Image source: @IOL
