By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The ANC, NFP and EFF have not enjoyed their “victory” of ousting the IFP in the Nongoma Municipality leadership.
The Pietermaritzburg high court on Friday annulled the newly-elected coalition leadership of the ANC, NFP and the EFF.
This follows an urgent application by the IFP following its removal on Tuesday.
Nongoma is the heartland of the IFP and it had vowed to keep it under its control after the EFF formally announced that it had entered into a coalition with the ANC and NFP. The new arrangement was likely to affect at least eight hung municipalities in the province where the EFF had helped the IFP to govern after the 2021 local government elections.
The respondents (ANC, EFF and the NFP) have until March 20 to show why a final order should not be granted. The court suspended the decision to remove the IFP from its leadership position.
“The court further ordered that all the new leaders be interdicted and restrained from holding their new positions of authority. The respondents will have to pay the costs of the application.”
ANC provincial spokesperson, Mafika Mndebele, said they were studying the ruling and that their legal team will advise on the way forward.
“We are of the view that the IFP is just delaying the inevitable. We are going to take that municipality. The reality is that most councillors in that municipality are no longer supporting the IFP.”
The NFP said it was not worried about the judgment as this was an attempt to “delay the inevitable”. NFP general secretary, Canaan Mdletshe, said their legal team will be studying the judgement.
“We are not perturbed by the court order because we know that removing the IFP mayor will happen. We have the numbers because, together, we have 25 councillors in the opposition and the IFP has 20 councillors. This ruling is really not worrying us.”