Malema says EFF lawyers will investigate how the ANC retained power in eThekwini

The EFF has hired lawyers to investigate how the ANC was able to retain power in eThekwini after the re-election of Mxolisi Kaunda as mayor on Wednesday.

Party leader Julius Malema made the announcement during a media briefing on Thursday. 

He accused the ANC of giving itself power it doesn't have, saying all would be revealed during a legal investigation. 

“We have instructed our lawyers to look at what they did in eThekwini because those positions belong to the party called the ANC and I don’t think they can willy-nilly be given to other parties. We think something illegal happened in eThekwini, so they will be receiving our papers very soon,” said Malema.

He said the party will challenge Kaunda's re-election and wants to see him removed within a year. 

Malema attributed the win in eThekwini to former president Jacob Zuma and suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule.

He said president Cyril Ramaphosa failed to negotiate with opposition parties to save any of the metros that have been lost to the DA. 

Kaunda's re-election has been met with criticism and accusations of thuggery and thievery, after the unexpected nomination and subsequent election of Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) leader Philani Mavundla as deputy mayor in eThekwini. 

“A few small parties, whose names you probably won’t even know, handed power back to the ANC in eThekwini. The IFP, EFF, DA, ACDP and ActionSA didn’t. Make no mistake, these guys have cash in their pockets and we will hold them accountable,” said the DA's Nicole Graham, who lost to Kaunda in the mayoral race.

DA KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Dean Macpherson said he had learnt that there was “a lot of money flowing” around the venue where the eThekwini council meeting was held this week.

“I have also come to learn today that there is a lot of money flowing around this ICC today, thanks to the ANC. Clearly, it is finding its way into the pockets of individuals. What the ANC has done is to have contacted all the tenderpreneurs in the city and told everyone that unless they assist in making this happen then they’re all going to be out of business,” he claimed on Wednesday. 

ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula dismissed the accusations and said the ANC won through political persuasion and negotiation.