Maimane slams local ANC leaders as ‘thugs’

 Embattled DA leader Mmusi Maimane on Tuesday likened the ANC in Enoch Mgijima to a drunkard and to thugs and thieves, saying the sooner the electorate booted the governing party out the sooner they would receive improved service delivery.

Maimane was speaking at a packed Hofmeyr Town Hall while campaigning for ward 34 DA by-election candidate Mawethu Bango, who will go head-to-head with ANC candidate Kenny Quqa on October 23 when residents elect a new ward councillor.

The vacancy was created when Makhwenkwe Duna resigned as the ward councillor.

To laughter and applause, Maimane charged: “ANC leaders in Enoch Mgijima municipality are doing as they please. They are ignoring the people.

“They are doing Nomahelele, doing what they want [and are] stealing your money.” He was referring to videos posted on social media of Mthobeli Xhayisa, known as Nomahelele, who got so drunk at a traditional ceremony in Mthatha that his mother had to push him home in a wheelbarrow.

Maimane called for the troubled municipality to be dissolved and the “thugs replaced by the DA”. Maimane said it was wrong that the municipality could not deliver services.

“This municipality must be dissolved. It can’t be that factories are closing and people are not working.

“As the DA, we will open the factories and have young people here employed,” he said, adding that he would write to co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to report the theft allegations.

Regarding the by-elections, Maimane said: “We need to take this ward — not by food parcels but by bringing change.”

Meanwhile, Enoch Mgijima municipality mayor Luleka Gubhula and her mayoral committee met residents at the Chris Hani community hall.

Gubhula’s meeting was attended by a handful of people, while more than 200 attended the DA’s.

ANC Chris Hani regional secretary Lusanda Sizani told the Dispatch if Maimane had any evidence of corruption against ANC members, he should report them to the police.

“The ANC is leading in all municipalities in Chris Hani and no one will win support by allegations that are not proven and tested by law enforcement agencies,” he said.