WATCH | Scuffle in eThekwini council as EFF demands removal of city manager

Tuesday's eThekwini council meeting almost descended into chaos when a scuffle broke out between members of the EFF and the security personnel who were called in to remove them.

The EFF had repeatedly called for the removal of city manager Musa Mbhele from presiding over the meeting, alleging that his failure to execute his duties had resulted in the municipality losing R1.2bn in conditional grants allocated by the National Treasury for infrastructure repairs.

EThekwini had made a rollover application of R1.9bn of the conditional grant from the Treasury to spend on the 2023/24 financial year since it had received the funds with just three months left of the previous financial year. However, only R720m was approved for the rollover. 

The EFF insisted that the reasons the rest of the funds were not approved were administrative and that Mbhele, as the one in charge of the administration of the municipality, should take responsibility.

EFF chief whip Khanyisani Khambule called for Mbhele's removal from the council meeting, before and after mayor Mxolisi Kaunda read the report on how the city lost the R1.2bn conditional grant the Treasury.

Khambule's call was supported by EFF caucus leader Themba Mvubu and the rest of the party members.

This was rejected by speaker Thabani Nyawose.

“The mayor presented the report and we asked to caucus so that we could return and debate the matter. We came back and we insist that because we have seen the report there are even more compelling reasons as to why the city manager must not preside here,” Khambule said. 

Nyawose said it was impractical for the council to take a decision to remove the city manager based on the view of an individual or one party and not that of the majority. 

“Those are your views, not that of a council. You reached the conclusion that the city manager cannot sit here and be part of the council meeting from the way you understood and interpreted the report but the rest of the councillors are not expressing that view,” Nyawose said. 

Nyawose said the report that was discussed was not an investigation into wrongdoing by the city manager.

“We were not discussing an investigation that could make council find the city manager guilty. We can’t allow council to take a decision on a matter that was not tabled to council, we are not discussing the performance of the city manager,” Nyawose said. 

That is when chaos broke out with EFF members insisting that Mbhele be removed.

After several attempts to get them to co-operate, including asking the help of the council chief whip, Nyawose asked EFF members to leave, which they refused. 

Nyawose called on security to escort them out, which resulted in a scuffle breaking out as they tried to fight off the security. The EFF members eventually left.

Afterwards, Mvubu told TimesLIVE that they had called for Mbhele’s removal because he had been missing in action for a while.

“This man should not sit here because he just cost the city R1.2bn. Even his report that he submitted to the Treasury to plead for the funds was flagged [because] the cover pages did not have his signature and he was told to fix that.” 

After the EFF councillors had left, some councillors raised concerns about the conduct of the officers who removed the councillors.

ActionSA’s councillor Thabani Mncwango noted that the city’s security personnel came in with firearms and asked that such should be avoided as it put everyone at risk.

“What if one of them had been disarmed by the EFF members, we’re all in danger here. They must come in and use their power to take them out.” 

That was supported by other councillors in opposition benches.

Nyawose said the concern was genuine and he would address it with the relevant teams.

Meanwhile, Kaunda explained the issue of the unspent R1.9bn grant. 

He said the city was still engaging with the Treasury to approve the remaining R1.164bn rollover and that Mbhele and CFO Sandile Mnguni had met Treasury officials last week to make further representations.

 “The matter of rollovers is under review and it is normal for the Treasury to engage with the municipality for clarification and additional information.” 

Kaunda confirmed that the Treasury had proposed cutting R142.4m from the municipality as part of its cost-cutting and austerity measures. He said that was not unique to eThekwini as other metros were also affected. 

TimesLIVE