Hundreds of African National Congress (ANC) branch members in the eThekwini region have marched to the ANC’s provincial headquarters in support of the troubled eThekwini municipality mayor Zandile Gumede.
They call on the party’s provincial leadership to act against the party’s Youth League in the region as it demanded that Gumede must step down.
Earlier Gumede appeared in Durban’s Commercial Crime court in connection with the R208 million Durban Solid Waste tender. She was released on a R50 000 bail.
Hundreds of ANC branch members in the eThekwini region painted the streets of Durban black, green and gold marching from the beachfront to the provincial ANC offices demanding to meet with their provincial leadership.
They say they want the party to act against the ANC Youth League in Ethekwini region that demanded that Gumede must step down after she appeared in court for fraud and corruption case.
Opposition parties and civil organisations are putting pressure on the ruling party to remove Gumede.
The chairperson of the Gedleyihlekisa zone of the eThekwini region Ntando Khuzwayo says Gumede is going nowhere.
“This issue of social media people going on social media calling for this and that one to fall based on allegations which are not yet tested in court, that is a very big problem. Because it undermines the constitution of this country.”
“You can’t go now on media and call for people to resign from office because there are allegations around them. What if those allegations go away next week? Then what are you going to do once you have made them resign? Are you going to make a mockery of yourself and call them back and say now we are taking you back because the court has proven that you are not guilty? It does not work like that. We need to follow the court processes.”
Meanwhile, an ANC activist Mzomuhle Dube is accusing the Hawks of being used by some leaders to settle political scores.
“Most of our leaders are reported to be waiting for imminent arrest. We even hear that in eThekwini we are waiting for the arrest of 62 councillors. So you can imagine because we are one and half year from local government elections yet they are reporting the arrest of 62 councillors.”
Receiving the memorandum, ANC’s peace and stability convenor Bheki Ntuli said he will hand over the memorandum to the party’s leadership.
“We have received the memorandum from comrades from different branches. We are going to take it to the leadership as it was intended to, both the chairperson of the province and the secretary. They will then share it with the officials and take it from there.”
Gumede will be back in court on the 8th of August.
Earlier this week provincial ANC secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli, said the party’s provincial leadership would meet before the end of this week to reflect on the challenges the eThekwini Municipality is facing.
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