Mayor on special leave amid calls for resignation

KZN has become a hotspot for political killings, which has led to the establishment of a special political killing task team, created with the instruction of Police Minister, Bheki Cele.

June 18, 2019

Charmaine Mazibuko 2 minutes read

Amid the ongoing court case involving Newcastle Mayor, Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba, the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal has demanded he resign.

The Mayor is currently facing four charges, relating to the murder of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) leader in the Emalahleni region, Wandile ‘Manqasha’ Ngobeni, who was shot and killed in 2016.

ANCYL Secretary, Mafika Mndebele was wounded in the same incident.

Cllr Mahlaba was granted R20 000 bail on condition, but has vehemently denied being involved.

“I am not a killer. I have never killed anyone and will never kill anyone. Arthur Zwane knows who killed Manqasha. Once I am done, we will deal with them.”

KZN has become a hotspot for political killings, which has led to the establishment of a special political killing task team, created with the instruction of Police Minister, Bheki Cele.

IFP Councillor, Dr Jacobus ‘Koos’ Vorster, said the party’s stance was clear.

“The thing is, there are local structures which are not involved in this, but as the IFP in this town, our point has always been clear. If there’s anything not clear or outstanding, it’s better to step aside, clear your name, and then come back to your position. There are legal processes that are still going on, and we don’t know what the outcome will be, but it is advisable for the Mayor to resign, for the integrity of the ANC.”

KZN IFP leader, Velenkosini Hlabisa, said in a statement the Mayor must stop playing ‘hide and seek’.

“We call upon Mayor Mahlaba to resign and stop playing hide and seek politics on matters of corruption. If this does not happen, it will be interpreted as measures aimed at diverting attention away from from his real issues of crime. It is indeed a responsibility of every patriotic citizen to eradicate and expose corruption wherever it rears its ugly head.”

Cllr Mahlaba previously told supporters at his latst court appearance in Madadeni, that he would do not step down. His comment at the time was as follows:

“I am the chairperson of the Emalahleni Region and I am not going anywhere. I am the Mayor of Newcastle and I am not going anywhere. Tomorrow, I will be at the Council Meeting to discuss the municipality’s Budget. We are dealing with corruption; people have run the municipality dry with illegal invoices. I know this for a fact.”

National media has however reported Cllr Mahlaba has since been placed on a 30-day period of special leave, which ends early in July. Speaking at the ANC headquarters in Durban, ANC Secretary-General, Mdumiseni Ntuli was quoted as saying: