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Durban – A political spat in the uMvoti (Greytown) Municipality over the election of councillors remains in limbo, after two applications to the Pietermaritzburg High Court were adjourned on Wednesday.
One, brought by the opposition, was to stop ousted office holders from acting in their previous positions, and the other, brought by the ANC, was for removed Speaker Ahmed Shaikh to be reinstated.
The latter also sought an order preventing members of the IFP, DA and NFP from harassing ANC councillors.
Co-operative Governance MEC Nomusa Dube joined the application, backing Shaikh.
The court actions were prompted by the election of a new Speaker, Mbangiseni Yengwa (IFP) and mayor, NFP councillor Zamo Xaba. Previous mayor Philani Mavundla resigned and the council had a hung municipality, with the ANC needing the support of its coalition partner, the NFP, to govern.
But NFP councillors jumped into bed with the IFP and the DA, bringing an end to ANC control. Shaikh said in court papers that the opposition unconstitutionally elected Yengwa as Speaker after he closed a council meeting on July 5.
Arriving at work three days later, he was accosted by councillors, one of whom attempted to wrestle the keys to his office from him. Shaikh laid an assault charge, but despite police intervention, intimidating remarks and threats were still being made against him.
He also said the IFP was behind the busing of certain “unknown” party members to the municipal offices. “These supporters lurk around the municipal office in an intimidatory fashion, chanting slogans and directing threats and unsavoury remarks towards me and other ANC members.
“If the situation is allowed to continue, I have no doubt violence will erupt,” he said.
Shaikh added that, as Speaker, he had a right to continue with his duties and to exercise the powers entrusted to him. Yengwa had been unlawfully adopted as Speaker and should stop acting as such.
The matter was adjourned for a date to be arranged.
Meanwhile, ANC provincial chairman Senzo Mchunu called on the NFP to deal with its councillors who continued to violate the two parties’ coalition agreement in the hung municipalities.
Mchunu said that the ANC councillors were adhering to the memorandum of understanding, which the parties signed when they formed the 2011 coalition, but NFP councillors kept on breaching it.
The Mercury
