Mxolisi Kaunda, Mayor of Durban.
Thuli Dlamini/eThekwini Municipality
- The DA will vote with the IFP to remove Mxolisi Kaunda as eThekwini mayor.
- The DA requested a secret ballot at Wednesday's City Council meeting.
- The IFP signaled its intention to overthrow Kaunda through a motion filed late last year.
The DA is expected to vote alongside the IFP when Wednesday's city council debates a no-confidence motion against the ANC's mayor eThekwini, Mxolisi Kaunda.
Opposition parties blame Kaunda for the city's service delivery problems.
Utilizing the provisions of Section 53 of the Local Government Act, Local Government Structure Act, Regulation No. 117 of 1998, IFP Chief Whip Mdhu Nkosi will consider a motion of no confidence against Kaunda on 7 November 2023. I asked for
Mr Nkosi highlighted the following failures as reasons for the motion:
- Notarized findings by the Comptroller's Office over several fiscal years showing financial improprieties by Metro.
- Misuse of municipal finances during the COVID-19 pandemic “could impact resources allocated to public health and safety during a crisis.”
- Prolonged delays in providing housing to flood victims have left vulnerable populations without adequate shelter.
- R1.9 billion was confiscated into the national treasury due to unspent grants intended to repair critical infrastructure damaged by floods.
“Given these concerns, we call for the immediate removal of the Mayor. IFP Durban Metro urges all stakeholders to support the well-being and future of eThekwini City and its residents by supporting our demands. I urge you to take swift and decisive action to ensure that Mayor Kaunda is removed from office,” Nkosi said.
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The DA indicated in a statement that it plans to vote with the IFP on the issue. However, the DA is also seeking an eleventh-hour order from ANC chairperson Thabani Nyawose to acquiesce to table a motion to dissolve the eThekwini parliament, which would pave the way for early municipal elections.
At a press conference on Monday, prosecutors said Nyawose was “frustrating” their plans.
MP Thabani Mtetwa said his party had written to Nyawose asking him to allow a secret vote on the motion, allowing all MPs to make their own decisions on “this important business”. He said he had decided to.
Mthethwa said:
It is no secret that there are members of the ANC and its EFF partners who are also dissatisfied with the mayor's performance.
“In order to avoid intimidation of councilors who may be on the side of the residents and who are affected by the mayor’s absence, the Speaker must hold this vote by secret ballot.
“This motion comes at an opportune time, as the city's services have completely deteriorated and reached disappointing levels never seen before under Mr Kaunda's leadership. We cannot allow this to continue. It doesn’t last.”
Mr Mthethwa echoed Mr Nkosi's comments about Mr Kaunda's “failure”.
“For this reason, he has to vacate his seat,” Mthethwa said.
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“Although the Speaker seems hesitant to avoid our motion to convene a special council meeting to discuss it, we are closely monitoring his attitude on this issue and agree with all parties today. We applaud the Congress for finally committing to a whipping session to convene a special meeting to fix an appropriate date for introducing this motion.
“We are ready to fight for this motion to be finally tabled, as it is perhaps the only thing that can save our crumbling city, destroyed by the EFF and the ANC. .”
The no-confidence motion will be heard as eThekwini residents take to the streets to vent their frustrations over the lack of service delivery. And most recently on Monday, residents of the municipality protested water shortages in several areas. Part of eThekwini.