Durban – King Cetshwayo District Municipality mayor Thami Ntuli has told the KZN ANC to look within itself, instead of blaming the IFP for the councillor murders that have plagued the province.
“The ANC is in charge of the KZN province, and the SAPS police department is in their control. Moreover, this crisis facing the province is nothing to engage in a political mind games about. People have lost lives here, and these people have families, so we can’t go on mud-slinging games about it.
“We call on the police to do thorough investigations around these killings, and find the real perpetrators of these murders. They should look into the ANC murders that have taken place since the time Sindiso Magaqa was murdered. They must look into the issue of the ANC eThekwini councillor Muzimuni Ngiba, who is sitting in prison for the murder of another ANC councillor, while earning a council salary.”
This after the KZN ANC accused Ntuli of displaying a double agenda when he issued a statement on the councillors’ murders.
Ntuli, who is also the South African Local Government Association (Salga) and IFP KZN chairperson, had lamented the killing of councillors in the province.
KZN ANC spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said Ntuli conveniently issued a statement in his capacity as the provincial chairperson of Salga.
“This was nothing but in keeping with Inkatha’s culture of projecting a holier-than-thou image, merely to offset the violence and intimidation that defines the party.
Mndebele said IFP leaders had mastered the art of weeping crocodile tears in public, yet in dark corners they were the architects of mayhem.
“We are calling upon the police to do a thorough investigation behind the murder of IFP councillor Innocent Mkhwanazi, who served in Mtubatuba Local Municipality.
“Investigators must question the IFP why Mkhwanazi was murdered, as he was beginning to have a cordial relationship with the ANC in the municipality.
“To demonstrate that Ntuli is a mayor with a double agenda, he has not bothered to lift a finger in condemnation of the following IFP mayors and councillors who were arrested for assault cases,” said Mndebele, listing the names given below:
- Mayor of Mthonjaneni Local Municipality Mbangiseni Biyela – for assault of an ANC member.
- Whip of King Cetshwayo District Municipality Bafana Mthimkhulu – for assault of an ANC member.
- An IFP member and municipal worker in King Cetshwayo District, Bafana Dube – assault of an ANC member.
- Former mayor of Mtubatuba Local Municipality Mandla Zungu, who appeared in court for the assault of a “Zululand Observer” journalist, Gadafi Zulu. Zulu was exposing the IFP’s refusal to allow the administrator sent by Cogta to oversee the badly run Mtubatuba local municipality.
- Former mayor of the IFP-controlled Msinga Local Municipality, Mletheni Ndlovu – arrested for the murder of IFP councillor Siyanda Magubane.
Mndebele added that the public display of violence by IFP councillors in several municipalities was a clear indication that violence was an IFP problem in the province.
Mndebele said the IFP “instigates and perpetuates violence with impunity”.
“Ntuli’s hypocrisy is projected by his silence despite the mayhem unleashed by the IFP councillors in Nongoma, KwaMaphumulo and Mtubatuba local municipalities.”
They were all captured on social media, preventing the sitting of council meetings and hurling insults at senior officials from the Cogta, he said.
He said the ANC remained determined to “cleanse this province of any stain of violence and intimidation” and removing the IFP from power in any municipality was the surest way of achieving this.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News