An Umzumbe business organisation is said to be holding Umzumbe Municipality to ransom.
Members from the Umzumbe Business Chamber reportedly stormed the municipal offices last Thursday, demanding that top municipal officials be shown the door.
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The group claimed the municipality had been doing nothing to help small businesses grow, and was quick to accuse the mayor, Sizwe Ngcobo, local economic development head Nfanafuthi Ngwabe and municipal manager Nokuthula Mgijima of looting funds from the municipality.
“They must go because we know how they operate. We know they have companies that they benefit directly when tenders are being awarded,” the group claimed.
The group also accused the municipal manager of having close relatives who had benefited from many tenders awarded by the municipality.
However, political battles are said to be at the heart of the squabble between the officials and the group, some members of whom are reportedly politically affiliated with a certain Umzumbe ANC camp.
According to some municipal officials, this argument had nothing to do with business but rather everything to do with people using the business chamber to score political points.
Mr Ngwabe said whoever had proof that he was involved in looting funds should report this to the police, or contact the relevant officials.
Mr Ngcobo said he was aware of the march to the office, adding that meetings were scheduled to take place between the business chamber and the municipality.
He however stressed that there was no policy in place which prevented relatives of municipal officials from doing business with the municipality, providing that they declared this before council.
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