The Impendle Local Municipality has been thrown into fresh political disarray after the suspension of its newly elected Mayor and Speaker, mere days after they were appointed to fill posts vacant since July of last year. The suspensions, enacted by the African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal, are part of a widening rift between the party’s provincial leadership and its local councillors.
The crisis stems from a longstanding leadership vacuum. Since July, the municipality has operated without a Mayor or Speaker, leading to significant administrative and financial instability. This instability resulted in delays in paying municipal employees’ salaries for several months and drew the attention of the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs department.
The turmoil escalated last Friday when a council meeting, intended to resolve the deadlock, instead intensified it. ANC councillors reportedly defied a direct directive from the party’s provincial leadership by electing candidates for Mayor and Speaker who were not the party’s chosen nominees. This act of defiance prompted the ANC to suspend four of its ward councillors who were instrumental in the decision.
ANC Provincial Spokesperson, commenting on the suspensions, stated, “The expectation from the ANC was for members deployed as councillors to adhere to the directive of the national executive committee and all higher structures.” The spokesperson alleged that the councillors “opted to implement contrary and appoint a mayor of their choice, not the mayor that they have been directed by the ANC to elect.”
The spokesperson also linked the defiance to broader concerns over municipal management, citing allegations of financial misconduct. “There are a number of allegations that ought to be investigated which to a particular extent we may believe that the defiance is informed by those things,” the spokesperson said, highlighting millions of Rands in unused grant funding meant for essential services and disaster relief.
Addressing concerns that the suspensions could harm the party ahead of upcoming municipal elections, the ANC spokesperson insisted the action was necessary. “It will affect the party in a manner that is adverse. That’s why the party has taken a conscious decision to deal with elements that are suspected not to be doing right for the people and for the municipality,” the spokesperson said, urging residents not to lose confidence in the ANC.
In contrast, the suspended councillors remain defiant. They argue that the ANC does not have the authority to suspend elected representatives, maintaining that their mandate comes directly from the electorate. They insist they will continue to serve their communities despite their suspension from the party.
The situation leaves the Impendle Local Municipality in a precarious state, once again without confirmed political leadership and grappling with the severe service delivery and financial challenges that prompted the initial provincial intervention.