Police are guarding the Umvoti municipal buildings in Greytown to protect employees from attack by former senior councillors.
|||Durban - Police are guarding the Umvoti municipal buildings in Greytown to protect employees and property from attack by former senior councillors who are refusing to vacate their positions after having been voted out.
There is a power struggle in the municipality over the positions of mayor, deputy mayor and Speaker.
Ministry of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesman Lennox Mabaso said the threats to workers were an attempt to make the municipality ungovernable.
Security was intensified after MEC Nomusa Dube received complaints from workers that they were being intimidated by men connected to the former senior councillors.
“Police are stationed at all municipal buildings, conducting body searches on everyone entering the building. Access into municipal buildings is being strictly controlled.”
Councillors from the NFP, DA and IFP passed a vote of no confidence in Speaker Ahmed Shaik (ANC).
Shaik has allegedly refused to vacate his position after the three parties voted in IFP councillor Mbangiseni Yengwa as the new Speaker.
The parties also voted for Rajentersadh Maharaj (IFP) to replace Nqobile Maphanga (ANC) as the new deputy mayor.
The IFP asked the ministry to intervene after Maphanga also refused to leave the position.
It is alleged that the former mayor, Philani Mavundla, was also refusing to allow the newly elected mayor, Zamokwakhe Xaba (NFP), to occupy the office. Mavundla resigned from this position.
Mabaso said they had confirmed that the men involved in intimidating the workers were connected to the quarrel, adding that the mayor had asked the police to investigate and arrest those responsible.
He said the MEC was trying to find a solution to the problem in the municipality.
“We don’t want this to compromise service,” Mabaso said.
The Mercury