By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The National Freedom Party (NFP) says it could consider withdrawing from the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) in KwaZulu-Natal.
This follows a snub for the post of mayor of the Zululand District Municipality.
It was widely expected that NFP leader Ivan Barnes would be sworn in as the mayor of the district municipality.
However, IFP candidate Michael Khumalo was elected mayor on Thursday. The district municipality said in a statement that Khumalo was elected unanimously.
The mayoral position became vacant after former Mayor, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, was appointed as the province’s new Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC under the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), led by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
The NFP, which has one seat in the provincial legislature, are kingmakers and should they pull out, there is a possibility that the GPU in KwaZulu-Natal could collapse.
Barnes says, “IFP members are constantly continuing and moaning unity that we are trying to forge. I am here as a leader, as a council declared by the IEC.Now that IFP is not playing ball, they need to fix their house. So, whatever happened yesterday needs to be nullified and be corrected by the IFP.
Remember, GPU is not about us as political leaders, it’s about the people that we are leading. But if this GPU led by the IFP comes at the expense of the NFP, we will be left with no other option to withdraw from it but that is the last option.”
“We knew that we did not have the numbers, but we thought that they would offer us the post, but instead they chose to field their own candidate,” he said.
Meanwhile, IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa says there was never an agreement between the IFP and the NFP on local government matters.
He says the agreement was to give the NFP a MEC position at provincial level.
NFP Chairperson Mbali Shinga is now the province’s new MEC for Social Development under the provincial unity government.
Zululand District Municipality in a statement congratulated Khumalo on his appointment, saying he brings a wealth of experience to the role. He previously served as an Exco member in the council and former speaker of Abaqulusi Local Municipality.
Expressing his vision, the mayor extended his heartfelt gratitude to the former mayor for the dedicated service over the past seven years.