Sacked KZN mayors: Bathabile Dlamini weighing in on the matter

Former mayors of Ethekwini metro and Msunduzi municipality, Zandile Gumede and Themba Njilo were relieved of their duties.

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal  finally reached this decision after weeks of debates around the mayors’ roles. Gumede will be deployed elsewhere as the party in the province undertakes to make sweeping leadership changes.

The KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial executive committee expressed concern over the state of the two municipalities headed by Gumede and Njilo and reported that the two, ” required urgent attention. ” Provincial Secretary, Mdumiseni Ntulu said, “All ANC members serving as Exco members at eThekwini municipality and Msunduzi municipality should be redeployed with immediate effect.” Gumede was placed on special leave for 30 days in June during which the term had been extended twice since the PEC couldn’t reach a decision.

At the same time, ANC women’s league president, Bathabile Dlamini held a meeting with the PEC just after Gumede axing was announced.

 Bathabile lambasted on what she calls , “The culture of easily removing women.” She said, “Now there is a problem of comrades thinking our generation is not going to change. If we are not careful, in the near future, the very women who have swelled the ranks of the ANC are going to form their own organisation and they will not care if it is a feminist organisation, as long as it will meet their demands , they will join it.” She also pleaded with Ramaphosa to ensure consistency in how women and men were disciplined in the party, saying, “They must be treated equally.”