WHEN EFF leader Julius Malema couldn’t reach an agreement with his party’s coalition partner the IFP, he made a drastic decision.
He called on all EFF deputy mayors in KZN to resign from their positions.
The relationship between the IFP and the EFF, which has had eight deputy mayors in the province since the 2021 local government election, went sour after the EFF demanded leadership in the uMhlathuze Municipality.
On Monday 30 January, the IFP held a media briefing and officially divorced the EFF.
EFF provincial secretary Nkululeko Ngubane said Malema’s decision was fair as the party could not always be running after others. He was the deputy mayor in uMhlathuze but handed in his resignation on Monday. He also resigned as a councillor to resume duties in the provincial legislature.
“I can confirm that all our councillors who were holding deputy mayor positions tendered their resignations. This was not hard because we all understand we can’t always be second in line. We want to lead municipalities. I resigned as a councillor as well because I am going back to the legislature but all other members remain councillors.”
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IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said regardless of the latest setback, the IFP remained committed to governing honourably.
“The IFP will continue to elect ethical leaders who are committed to rooting out corruption and we will do this with or without the support of certain political parties.”
He said of the 29 municipalities the party governed, the IFP was only likely to lose one due to the latest development.
