ANC promises action
Ndlela managed to calm down the tense, thousand-strong crowd at the Shaka's Head meeting on Saturday.
The air was thick with tension at the Shaka’s Head community meeting on Saturday where the demand for the removal of councillor Jetro Banda was brought to ANC chairperson Ricardo Mthembu.
More than a thousand people gathered at the Shaka’s Head sports field five days after the violent protest that spilled onto the N2 and R102, closing both roads for several hours.
Banda has been the ward four’s councillor since 1996. The protesters were demanding that he be replaced with SACP and ANC member Mlamuli Ndlela.
Mthembu said the community must let the ANC processes of electing a candidate take place.
“As leadership, we assure you that a councillor will be elected by you and in this case, you have chosen your favourite candidate: Ndlela. Therefore we need to report that to the provincial leadership. They are the ones who can tell us whether we should announce Ndlela as our candidate or they might say they want to come and listen to you on their own,” said Mthembu.
He explained that the regional leadership cannot take these decisions without reporting to the provincial leadership. However, the community did not take this news well, demanding that Ndlela be announced as the ANC candidate for the elections immediately.
Resident Bethiswa Ngcetheshwa said this was because in 2011 residents had told the ANC that they did not want Banda as their councillor however the ANC still elected him.
“Even if the government wants to rebuild his house that was burnt, it must not be rebuilt in Shaka’s Head. He has done nothing good for our community. He only worked for those close to him,” said Ngcetheswa.
It was Ndlela who managed to calm down the crowd. He asked that the leadership and principles of the ANC be respected.
“Since leadership has given you assurance that they have listened to your complaints and they will report it to the provincial leadership, let them do it. How do you expect me to have a good working relationship with them if the people who support me do not respect the ANC and it principles. Let the process of the ANC be followed,” said Ndlela.
Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message with your name and surname to 061 718 4438.
Please read our WhatsApp broadcast list disclaimer.
Join us on BBM at 59015786
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
