KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo has questioned the DA’s silence on “IFP corruption”. Picture: Tumi Pakkies/African News Agency (ANA)
Durban — The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has questioned the DA’s lack of condemnation of the IFP mayors who have been found to have committed corruption.
After the release of a forensic report which implicated uThukela District Municipality mayor Inkosi Ntandoyenkosi Shabalala, the ANC said it was expecting the DA to condemn its coalition partner. The ANC said because of the DA’s silence, it believed the party was also benefiting from the IFP’s corruption. The municipality had denied that the mayor was implicated in the report.
“As the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, we are convinced that the DA is benefiting from the nail-biting corruption contest involving IFP mayors in this province. Despite media reports of corruption associated with the awarding of R10 million security tender in uThukela District Municipality, the DA’s silence has been very loud.
“The DA has not bothered to lift a finger despite the victimisation and suspension of 12 innocent municipal workers by the municipal manager Mpumelelo Mnguni. Their sin was to refuse to be part of grand corruption from which the DA is a beneficiary and IFP a facilitator,” said KZN ANC secretary.
The ANC was referring to the report where the uThukela mayor and several senior leadership of the municipality were said to have benefited from the irregularly appointed security company for R10m.
The mayor and several officials were provided with VIP protection without any threat assessments to their lives. The report revealed that the mayor had 12 bodyguards which cost the taxpayers more than R700 000 a month.
Hitting back, DA provincial chairperson Dean Macpherson accused the ANC of throwing stones at a glass house while it also lived in the glass house. He said the IFP was better placed to respond to the allegations by Mtolo against their mayors, however, he (Mtolo) had been dead silent on the conduct of ANC mayors, especially eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda.
“Maybe Mr Mtolo would like to speak about the mayor of Msunduzi who wants to procure a new R1.2m vehicle for himself while his city can’t keep the lights on and collect refuse. It’s obvious that Mtolo is fighting for his political survival with rumours from his own members that they want to get rid of him because of the state of KZN under his watch where the ANC-run province can’t even feed school children anymore,” said Macpherson.
IFP provincial chairperson Thami Ntuli said: “The ANC should instead reflect on their own conduct and take responsibility for their shortcomings...”
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