By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) Youth League marched to the offices of uMngeni Local Municipality to demand the arrest and resignation of Mayor Chris Pappas.
Heavy private security presence was so notable during the march that it prompted ANCYL national spokesperson Wesley Kgang to rebuke the “intimidation tactics” by the private contractors and Pappas.
ANCYL members met at a park in Howick to collect ANCYL shirts that were being handed out from a bakkie.
A convoy of private security contractor vehicles lined up on the pavement near Howick Falls on Main Street.
The march comes amid allegations that Pappas’ then fiancé Jean-Pierre Prinsloo benefitted from a government contract.
Pappas has denied the accusations, challenging the league and his other accusers to bring in evidence to back up their claims.
But the league is having none of it, accusing Pappas and the DA of being racists who are using black people to get into power.
The youth league has decided to proceed with its planned ‘shutdown’ in the uMngeni municipality, despite a court order preventing them from doing so.
The KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg ruled that the ‘shutdown’ was unlawful and that the league should communicate this decision to those it had notified about the protest action. Despite this ruling, the League continued its protest against Pappas.
[IN PICTURES]
ANCYL Spokesperson Cde Wesley Kgang alongside KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Task Team Convenor Cde Mqondisi Duma and Coordinator Cde Zama Zondi successfully led a peaceful march to Emngeni Local Municipality.
The March demanded the resignation of a corrupt DA Mayor. pic.twitter.com/bRiUbhcRDX— ANCYL (@ANCYLhq) October 5, 2023
The crowd braved the 33°C heat to walk up to the uMngeni Local Municipality offices in spirited song and dance.
The marchers carried placards that read “arrest Pappas now, arrest Passas now, ” “ANCYL says ‘no to corruption,” and other slogans.
Please help find Passas. ANCYL is looking for him in uMngeni. pic.twitter.com/sbHGCNPSnM— Christopher Pappas (@MayorPappas) October 5, 2023
Addressing the crowd, ANCYL deputy president Phumzile Mgcina said: “We won’t keep quiet seeing our people get harassed and their money being misused. The people’s money should go to the people. When we leave here we’re going to the police station to open a case against this criminality happening here.”
She added: “We’re tired of people saying the ANC is corrupt. Here is the DA being corrupt. Where there is corruption, the youth league will be there to protest it.”
She said the ANCYL was being criticised for questioning a white leader, but the issue wasn’t about race.
Pappas (32) has been mayor of the small Midlands municipality of uMngeni since November 2021. He speaks isiZulu fluently and his supporters say he has been able to turn things around in the municipality, which they say suffered years of ANC incompetence, mismanagement and corruption.
The DA hopes that Pappas can use the narrative of clean governance in uMngeni and his understanding of the isiZulu language and culture to woo the support of fed-up voters.