Hundreds of community members and local leaders, led by representatives of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), forcefully entered the barricaded Umkhanyakude district municipal offices in Mkuze on Monday, demanding the resumption of critical services that have been halted for over a month.
The dramatic scene unfolded after the municipality’s gates were shut and locked on 14 July, following the controversial appointment of a new provincial administrator. Protesters, frustrated by the ongoing closure which has led to a severe lack of water and other services in various communities, pushed their way onto the property to confront officials.
The core of the dispute is the appointment of administrator Bamba Ndwandwe by the Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA). The IFP, which leads the district, has rejected the intervention, leading to a tense political standoff.
An IFP regional organizer accused the municipality’s own leadership—specifically the mayor, speaker, and municipal manager—of being “at the forefront” of the closure. He questioned why they had not reported the barricading of a public building to the police if they were not responsible for it.
“The leadership of this municipality… they are refusing to accept the administrator… because of the maladministration that is happening in this municipality,” the organizer stated, arguing that the administrator must be allowed to perform his duties to restore service delivery.
However, Council Speaker Solomon Mkhombo stands firm in his opposition, calling the administration appointment an “illegality and unconstitutionality.”
“This administration has not been approved by the minister,” Mkhombo said. “We can’t be forced to comply with an illegality… Why is he hogging the account?”
In response to the protest, Speaker Mkhombo expressed shock at the forced entry, stating that the organizers had applied for a peaceful march. He confirmed that the municipality is considering its next steps and that the march’s organizers would be held “fully responsible” for any property damage.
The provincial CoGTA department, through its spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila, reiterated that it stands by its previous statements on the matter, supporting the administrator’s appointment to address the municipality’s troubles.
The situation remains unresolved, with a community suffering from a lack of basic services caught in the middle of a deepening political conflict.