Cllr Thwala resigns leaving the future of AbaQulusi in Mondlo’s hands once again

Ward 18’s (Mondlo) residents will be casting a vote for their ward councillor for the third time since the 2016 local government elections, and AbaQulusi faces the possibility of a hung council for the second time.

Cllr Khonza Thwala of the IFP, who was elected the ward councillor in December 2017 bi-election, following the death of former mayor Cllr Martin Mtshali (IFP), submitted his letter of resignation on January 2.

Cllr Thwala cited medical reason due to stress as the reason for his resignation and Cllr Sibiya confirmed that Cllr Thwala had complained of severe headaches in the weeks leading to his resignation.

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The AbaQulusi council is currently governed by the IFP (18 seats), DA (3 seats), and EFF (1 seat) co-governance structure. Altogether, these parties now have 22 of the 44 seats in council, while the ANC has 21 seats.

Should an ANC councillor win ward 18, AbaQulusi will be a hung council, assuming the co-governance relationship prevails. The IFP needs to win the ward if it hopes to retain its position as the ruling party of AbaQulusi.

Until a ward councillor is elected, the co-governance party, alone, does not make a quorum in council. 23 councillors are required for a quorum in a council of 44 councillors. This means that, should the ANC councillors choose not to attend a meeting, the meeting cannot take place.

Cllr Sibiya said that a vacancy has been declared in ward 18, and while the IEC hasn’t finalised a date for the bi-election as yet, it is likely to take place in March or April.

ALSO READ: IFP’s Khonza Thwala has won the ward 18 by-election

“The resignation of Cllr Khonza does pose a challenge. There were urgent items on the agenda for the December 13 meeting that needed to be finalised. The adjustment budget needs to be tabled as well as the annual report,” conceded Cllr Sibiya.

“Failure of the council to sit will disrupt the entire budget process. I urge all political parties to set aside politics and work towards service delivery. This is what they were elected for. Let’s unite to resolve issues.”

Cllr Sibiya thanked Cllr Thwala for his service and wished him well.

“We ask God to heal him. He is still needed both by the community and by his family. To the residents of AbaQulusi and, especially, of ward 18, rest assured that we will continue with service delivery. All the programs will still go on as planned. We are sorry that you will have to vote for the third time, but it can’t be helped. Don’t give up. When you make your mark, elect the person you know will serve you,” concluded Cllr Sibiya.