Durban — The IFP in KwaZulu-Natal has suspended its Msinga Local Municipality mayor Mletheni Ndlovu following his arrest for an unlicensed firearm last week.
Ndlovu was arrested by the police’s political killing unit while coming from the old citizens' games which were organised by the Local Government Association in Durban last week.
Ndlovu was arrested with his two bodyguards as well as IFP councillors Thokozani Sokhela and Mhawukeleni Sokhela. They all appeared in Msinga Magistrate’s Court on Monday and were released on bail.
Ndlovu was released on R10 000 bail while his bodyguards Msawenkosi Malembe and Mvikeleni Mzolo were released on R1 000 bail.
The case was postponed to November 21 for further investigations.
After the party’s national executive committee meeting on Monday, the party took a decision to place the three councillors on special leave and also suspended them from the party.
In a statement issued by the party on Tuesday, the party said the deputy mayor Thenjiwe Mbatha would act as mayor.
“Cllr Mletheni Ndlovu, Cllr Thokozani Sokhela and Cllr Mhawukeleni Sokhela are directed to take a leave of absence from all municipal activities and responsibilities with immediate effect and are hereby placed on suspension from all party activities. The speaker of council is to ensure that affected wards, namely Wards 4 and 14, continue to receive services and access to council during the period of the leave of absence of the affected councillors,” read the statement.
The party further said it was noting that at this point they had not been linked to the tragic assassination of another IFP councillor Siyanda Magubane.
Ndlovu and Sokhela were in the news a few weeks back after a video where another IFP councillor publicly named them as suspects in the murder of Magubane went viral. To the shock of the mourners at Magubane’s funeral, Councillor Siyabonga Ntuli turned to the side where the mayor and other officials were seated and said: “Honourable mayor, you were not supposed to kill us like that”.
The Daily News has been reliably informed that Ntuli has since been placed under protection and always joins council meetings by zoom.
Daily News