NKOMAZI –  This is after the former mayor, Johan Mkhatshwa, who was recently expelled by the ANC, took his fight to court.

Mkhatshwa was fired by his party along with five other councillors, including the council speaker, Siphiwe Mashele, after going against the party’s national executive structures.

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Mkhatshwa and Mashele, who have been serving in the same positions in the previous administration, defied the ANC caucus in November which warned them against contesting for council positions following last year’s local government elections. They were both elected to their positions against the wishes of the ANC and with the support of opposition councillors during the new council’s inaugural meeting on November 23 last year.

At the time the former acting ANC provincial secretary, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, said the two refused to resign when asked by the organisation to step down from their positions.

“The six have defied the ruling party. Mkhatshwa didn’t emerge in the mayor’s interviews, but he went to contest and that’s a serious misconduct, defying the party that he represents in the council. We had to take them through all the processes of disciplinary action and a verdict was reached that they be expelled.

“The letters have been served to them and what’s left now is for the ANC to write to the Electoral Commission of South Africa to inform them that these people have been fired and we shall convene a special council sitting to elect the rightful mayor and speaker,” said Ntshalintshali. Both Mkhatshwa and Mashele are now taking the party and the IEC to court, demanding to keep their positions. In their court papers, the six are joined by former Mkhondo Local Municipality mayor, Vusumuzi Motha, and five other councillors, who resigned.