ANC backs deputy mayor from its smaller coalition partners for eThekwini

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The ANC will back a candidate from one of the small parties in the eThekwini metro council as deputy mayor of Durban at a meeting scheduled for Thursday 26 January to replace Philani Mavundla, who was removed by a no confidence vote in December. 

The block is now led by the National Freedom Party’s (NFP) Zandile Myeni, who replaced Mavundla as its chairperson after its member parties removed him last year ahead of the no confidence vote, which they backed.

Myeni is not a member of the city’s executive committee (Exco) — a prerequisite for standing as mayor, deputy mayor or speaker — but can take the same route as Mavundla, leader of the Abantu Batho Congress, whose Exco seat was donated to the party by the ANC to allow him to become deputy mayor.

ANC KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo told a media briefing in Durban on Tuesday that the party had decided to again give the position to the block of small parties backing its coalition government, who helped it retain control of the city. He said it would be “arrogant” and “stupid” of the ANC not to do so as it acknowledged that it only governed eThekwini — KwaZulu-Natal’s only metro council — with their assistance.

The ANC lost its outright majority in eThekwini in the November 2021 local government elections and needed the backing of the block of small parties — then led by Mavundla — and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to elect Mxolisi Kaunda as mayor by a narrow margin of 113 to 104 over a Democratic Alliance–Inkatha Freedom Party coalition.

Two ANC councillors — deputy regional secretary Nkosenhle Madlala and deputy regional chairperson Tembo Ntuli — had both pushed for the post, along with councillor Zama Sokhabase, a close ally of eThekwini chairperson Zandile Gumede.

There had also been speculation that the ANC leadership might give the post to the EFF, whose councillor Thamisanqa Xuma became chair of eThekwini’s municipal public accounts committee last August with the governing party’s support, as part of a deal which would help the ANC take back hung KwaZulu-Natal municipalities run by an EFF-IFP alliance.

However, the PEC — which met with President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday — decided to continue with the status quo and work with the block now led by Myeni.

“We recognised that we do not have a simple majority. We cannot be arrogant. We cannot take power all to ourselves. We have to continue to govern responsibly, with everybody who has been working with us, so we can deliver good-quality services to our people,”  Mtolo said.

“We know that we do not have 50%-plus, so we said the deputy mayor must remain there. We are going to engage them and we will fill that vacancy.”

Myeni said the NFP had been “surprised” by the ANC decision and that the small parties would meet on Wednesday to finalise a candidate to stand as deputy mayor.

“We are still going to have a meeting as the block of parties and then decide as to who is our candidate,” Myeni said.

“The former deputy mayor wasn’t on Exco but what the ANC did was sponsor their Exco seat to him first, before he was elected. We expect they will follow the same procedure again. The block will decide on a candidate who will be subjected to the voting process and we will see what transpires from that process.”

EFF KwaZulu-Natal secretary Nkululeko Ngubane said that the party “remains in opposition” in eThekwini and that any discussions with the ANC would be conducted at national level.

EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the party was “considering all of the possibilities which will best lead to service delivery for the people of eThekwini”.

“At the appropriate time, we will advise what role the EFF will play.”

Madlala had not responded to messages and calls from Mail & Guardian at the time of writing.

It is not yet clear who the DA and IFP will field as deputy mayor.

DA caucus chairperson Thabani Mthethwa said the party caucus would meet on Wednesday to decide who to nominate.