NFP president Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi is confident his party and the ANC can still work together against the IFP in KZN.
|||Durban - The relationship between the NFP and ANC in KwaZulu-Natal’s hung municipalities might have broken down, but NFP president Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi is confident the two parties can still work together against the IFP.
KaMagwaza-Msibi made this comment on Tuesday soon after her party, the IFP, and the DA removed the ANC from power in the Umvoti Municipality in Greytown.
This is despite the coalition between the NFP and ANC in 19 hung municipalities in KZN, formed after the 2011 local government elections.
The agreement was that neither would vote against the other in favour of the IFP.
But
NFP councillors have defied their leaders despite disciplinary action in Endumeni (Dundee), uMtshezi (Estcourt), Mpofana (Mooi River), Nkandla, uMlalazi (Eshowe) and other municipalities. On Tuesday political analyst Protas Madlala said the coalition had been badly implemented.
The problem was a “top-down” approach that did not accommodate ANC and NFP members on the ground, he said.
“Zanele (kaMagwaza-Msibi) is always forcing her councillors to vote with the ANC because she is angry with the IFP, but this does not work. NFP members are still IFP at heart.
“Another problem is that NFP councillors have been complaining that ANC councillors are arrogant. The coalition can work if the ANC gives some mayoral positions to their NFP counterparts,” said Madlala.
KaMagwaza-Msibi claimed to be unaware of the latest developments in Umvoti which led to NFP councillor Zamokwakhe Xaba taking over as mayor after her party voted with the IFP and DA to replace the ANC’s Philani Mavundla who resigned.
The IFP was given the posts of deputy mayor and Speaker. The matter has now been referred to the Pietermaritzburg High Court to decide if the IFP, NFP and DA acted correctly in kicking the ANC out of power.
“At the party level the relationship between us and the ANC is still very healthy. I know that some ANC and NFP councillors have misbehaved. We can still fix this as we are still very committed to the coalition. In other municipalities, such as uMlalazi, such problems have been resolved,” she said.
But
IFP spokesman Joshua Mazibuko said the IFP and NFP had a healthy relationship at municipal level.
“NFP councillors defy their leadership because it is difficult for them to work with the ANC councillors,” he said.
ANC spokesman Senzo Mkhize agreed with KaMagwaza-Msibi that the coalition was not beyond repair.
He said: “We have five a side in the province and two a side in all municipalities, which meet regularly to resolve disputes. Right now there are very few municipalities where the relationship has problems.”
The Mercury