Umzumbe Municipality speaker suspended
Sbonelo Maphumulo is not allowed to engage in ANC programmes and political activities.
Secretary of the ANC in KZN, Bheki Mtolo announced the suspension of Umzumbe Municipality speaker, Sbonelo Maphumulo on Tuesday this week.
The municipality is currently closed, after being shut down by the branch members of the ANC in Umzumbe last Thursday.
Members of the ANC had complained about some councillors not following the mandate of the party in council meetings.
At a media briefing, Mtolo said that it had been alleged that Maphumulo had gone against the mandate of the ANC on several occasions in council.
“The provincial executive committee has resolved to summarily suspend his membership of the ANC. He is not allowed to engage in ANC programmes and political activities.”
Maphumulo is also not allowed to sit in council as an ANC representative.
It is believed that Maphumulo is one of the councillors who voted with opposition parties recently.
Sbongiseni Cele, chief whip in Umzumbe council said he cannot explain the way forward in terms of the speaker being suspended.
Cele said the municipality is still closed and the leadership has not addressed the branches as yet, and until then the municipality will be closed.
“It will depend on when the provincial leadership addresses the branches and tells them to re-open the municipality. At the moment the secretary (Mtolo) has only spoken to the media.”
Snqobile Mkhize, an ANC branch member said the secretary took long to suspend the speaker, and should have suspended other councillors too, as they did not follow the mandate of the party.
IFP Caucus leader Simphiwe Mthethwa said the ANC members are wrong to close the municipality because it has affected service delivery.
“The municipality does not belong to the ANC, it belongs to everyone, if they feel a need to shut down offices they should close ANC offices not the municipality.”
The ANC plans to hold another meeting to discuss a way forward for the municipality.
When the Herald contact Maphumulo, he said he had received something on WhatsApp on Tuesday night.
“I received something in a form of a letter mentioning something about my suspension in the ANC.”
Maphumulo said he will follow the relevant internal procedures about the suspension.
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