Dannhauser Mayor Bongani Hadebe still holds the mayoral chain.

This was clarified by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), which moved to end ongoing confusion surrounding the leadership of the municipality.

The clarification follows claims that Hadebe had been ousted and replaced by former mayor Ndlovu of the IFP.

In a statement issued this week, CoGTA stressed that such claims are “without legal standing” and in violation of governance protocols.

KZN CoGTA MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi said the department would not tolerate attempts to destabilise the municipality.

“Councillor Hadebe is the legitimate mayor of Dannhauser. Any person purporting to occupy this office illegally is acting outside the law and undermining the stability and integrity of our local government institutions,” said Buthelezi.

He further called on the speaker of Dannhauser Local Municipality to enforce the Code of Conduct for Councillors and to ensure that council operations proceed without disruption.

“We expect councillors to respect democratic processes and work towards service delivery, not division. The proper functioning of council must be maintained, and the institution must not be brought into disrepute,” Buthelezi added.

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