By Celani Sikhakhane
The ANC leadership in the highly-contested Tolomane Mnyayiza region has been accused of creating divides that have led to municipalities in the Ugu district not operating properly.
The allegations were made during a visit by National Working Committee (NWC) member Mondli Gungubele.
This included complaints that regional secretary Xolani Luthuli filled the vacancy of Umdoni mayor by deploying his wife to the top seat.
A source who didn’t want to be named told Scrolla.Africa it was hoped that grievances shared with Gungubele would have been dealt with long before the by-elections on 11 September.
“Till today the ANC has not addressed our concerns. We told Gungubele that the regional leadership is mistreating other comrades in such a way that there are municipalities that have suffered a lot because of these regional leaders.
“As we speak the Ray Nkonyeni municipality has been without a speaker for two years now. The Ugu district has two chief whips because of ANC infighting.
“In Umuziwabantu in Harding, a manager was forced to quit after leadership of the region interfered with his work.
“Ironically in Umdoni local municipality, where community protests are the order of the day, the leadership seems to be treating them with soft gloves just because one of the leaders has a wife there,” the source said.
Gungubele could not be reached for comment as his phone rang unanswered.
The divisions in the region are said to have driven away the ANC councillors in Umzumbe, who then joined the MK party.
Luthuli – the secretary of the Tolomane Mnyayiza region, previously known as Lower South Coast – said concerns raised against the regional leadership were made by people who are not part of the regional structure.
“I don’t want to say they are just making noise but they don’t know whether the region is divided or not because they don’t serve in that structure,” he said.
“Remember these people are saying so many things just because we are going to the elective conference with other regions in the province. So they are making a lot of useless noise.”
He said it is not true that divisions have affected their municipalities.
The NWC visited the Tolomane Mnyayiza region and other structures in KZN to get their views on why the ANC had lost so many votes in the province.
Pictured above: The Tolomane Mnyayiza regional leadership in Port Shepstone are accused of sowing divisions in the ANC.
Source: ANC
