ANC and IFP tensions on the rise as Cogta gives an ultimatum on the appointment of a mayor in KZN
KwaZulu-Natal Cogta MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi has directed an ANC-led Impendle municipality to elect a mayor within a week.
Image: Supplied
Another political clash is looming between the IFP-led Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal following the department’s ultimatum that the Impendle Local Municipality elect a mayor within a week.
The tiny ANC-led municipality outside Pietermaritzburg, has been without a mayor since July last year after Buyisani Mlaba was ousted through a vote of no confidence. The motion was filed by the EFF and all ANC councillors, except the mayor, abstained.
Several attempts to elect a new mayor by the ANC provincial leadership have failed. The ANC reportedly wanted to bring in someone from outside, however, the councillors resisted, allegedly demanding that the new mayor be appointed from within. This led to a deadlock.
On Thursday, Cogta MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi visited the financially struggling municipality. In a statement the department issued thereafter, the MEC directed the council to elect the mayor by Thursday, February 5.
The MEC’s visit was prompted by the municipality’s failure to pay workers their salaries. Buthelezi cited the absence of the mayor as one of the main reasons for the municipality's financial collapse and directed the council to elect the mayor.
“A municipality cannot be a ship without a captain. This leadership vacuum has directly contributed to the current state of lawlessness and financial ruin we see today. To restore order, the MEC has issued a directive that a mayor must be formally appointed by Thursday, 5 February 2026,” read the statement.
This is likely to give the defiant ANC councillors an opportunity to elect the mayor of their choice without the ANC leadership’s involvement - this is said to have favoured a candidate from outside.
Buthelezi also slammed the municipality for failing to spend R24 million allocated for disasters, money which was returned to the Treasury. He also announced that the municipality's bank balance is only R1.9 million. Buthelezi further revealed that the municipality has already used some of the money allocated for service delivery projects to pay salaries and other operational expenses.
A University of KwaZulu-Natal -based local government expert Purshottama Sivanarain Reddy said the clear steps to resolve the municipality’s situation is to place it under administration.
The ANC's spokesperson in the province Fanle Sibisisi had not responded at the time of publishing.
Besides being partners in the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) the IFP and ANC publicly clashed last year following Buthelezi’s decision to place Umkhanyakude District Municipality under administration. The ANC responded by mobilising its members to block the MEC from entering the municipality premises to introduce the appointed administrator, Bamba Ndwandwe.
The impasse was finally resolved politically and Buthelezi removed the municipality from administration. The IFP also allowed the ANC mayor Siphile Mdaka to return to power after it had removed him through a vote of no confidence.