ANC heavyweights led by party president Jacob Zuma arrived in Eastern Cape yesterday to resolve infighting in the troubled ANC-led Mbizana local municipality.
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane confirmed yesterday that Mbizana senior councillors as well as provincial and regional leaders of the affected municipality were in Mzamba to meet the ANC’s top brass, including Zuma, deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, secretary general Gwede Mantashe, treasurer general Zweli Mkhize and national chairwoman Baleka Mbete.
The last time the top officials were here was last month when they gave former Nelson Mandela Metro mayor Zanoxolo Wayile and his deputy Nancy Sihlwayi marching orders from the Metro chambers.
At the time, Mabuyane told the Dispatch that the Zuma-led team would return and deal with the Mbizana case, “as a separate one”.
The Mbizana council is divided between a group that supports the mayor, Zoleka Busuku, and another group which supports council speaker Phikolomzi Siramza.
“On one side is the mayor and the chief whip Justice Madikizela, and on the other side is the speaker and the municipal manager Simphiwe Thobela. The officials invited us to this meeting to resolve these ongoing tensions and divisions in Mbizana,” said Mabuyane.
Mbizana was identified by local government and traditional affairs MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane as one of several hotspot municipalities in the province, where ANC council divisions were compromising service delivery. The trend was confirmed in auditor-general Terrence Nombembe’s latest audit report on Eastern Cape municipalities. Nombembe said Mbizana councillors were meddling with administrative processes and their infighting caused poor audit outcomes.
Mabuyane earlier told the Dispatch some of the cases of the hotspot municipalities had been referred to the top officials in order to get an objective view on how the disputes could be resolved. —
Zuma in EC to address infighting in Mbizana
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane confirmed yesterday that Mbizana senior councillors as well as provincial and regional leaders of the affected municipality were in Mzamba to meet the ANC’s top brass, including Zuma, deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, secretary general Gwede Mantashe, treasurer general Zweli Mkhize and national chairwoman Baleka Mbete.
The last time the top officials were here was last month when they gave former Nelson Mandela Metro mayor Zanoxolo Wayile and his deputy Nancy Sihlwayi marching orders from the Metro chambers.
At the time, Mabuyane told the Dispatch that the Zuma-led team would return and deal with the Mbizana case, “as a separate one”.
The Mbizana council is divided between a group that supports the mayor, Zoleka Busuku, and another group which supports council speaker Phikolomzi Siramza.
“On one side is the mayor and the chief whip Justice Madikizela, and on the other side is the speaker and the municipal manager Simphiwe Thobela. The officials invited us to this meeting to resolve these ongoing tensions and divisions in Mbizana,” said Mabuyane.
Mbizana was identified by local government and traditional affairs MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane as one of several hotspot municipalities in the province, where ANC council divisions were compromising service delivery. The trend was confirmed in auditor-general Terrence Nombembe’s latest audit report on Eastern Cape municipalities. Nombembe said Mbizana councillors were meddling with administrative processes and their infighting caused poor audit outcomes.
Mabuyane earlier told the Dispatch some of the cases of the hotspot municipalities had been referred to the top officials in order to get an objective view on how the disputes could be resolved. —
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