By Sihle Mavuso
The community of Ward 1 in the ANC-run Umzimkhulu Municipality has gone for four months without a councillor.
This is after Municipal Manager Andile Ngqoyiya failed to follow the law and declare a vacancy so that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) could call a by-election.
According to local government guidelines, this should be done within three months of a councillor’s resignation, death or inability to continue representing a ward.
The ward found itself without a councillor after Nkosinathi Madlala from the ANC passed away in December.
However, Umzimkhulu has made no move to announce a by-election in the ward to replace the councillor more than three months after he had died.
The source who tipped Scrolla.Africa off about the delay alleged that the municipality’s reluctance to call a by-election was motivated by fears that the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, could snatch the ward.
“The municipal manager is under political pressure not to declare the vacancy as they fear that the MK party will win the ward and embarrass the ANC,” the source said.
“The MK party is popular in the area so the aim is to have the by-election after the 29 May election.”
Spokesperson for the municipality, Willie Mgcina, did not respond to questions regarding their failure to declare a vacancy with the IEC despite repeated attempts to coax him to do so.
The IEC in KwaZulu-Natal said its hands are tied in this matter.
It said if the municipality does not declare a vacancy so that it can issue a timetable for a by-election, only the cooperative governance and traditional affairs department can act against it.
Pictured above: A street in the business district of Umzimkhulu municipality.
Source: umzimkhululm.gov.za
