Durban - The EFF in KwaZulu-Natal has explained the sudden departure of its councillor, Thabani Miya, from the all-powerful eThekwini municipal executive committee (exco).
The party’s provincial chairperson, Mongezi Thwala, said Miya’s departure had nothing to do with allegations that their relationship with the ANC was on the rocks just months after it started.
It was alleged that the EFF was not happy that some trading services departments like water, electricity and Durban Solid Waste (DSW) were removed from the human settlements and infrastructure committee before it was surrendered to it in exchange for votes that are keeping the ANC in power.
The EFF was given this portfolio early last month after the committees were restructured and a new one was created for the National Freedom Party, a coalition partner of the ANC.
UPDATE: The chairperson of the EFF in KZN, Mongezi Thwala says their exco member in the eThekwini municipality, Thabani Miya, resigned because he has been deployed to Mpumalanga to oversee their election machinery ahead of next year's elections. He denied fallout with ANC. @IOL
On Tuesday the speaker of the municipality, Thabani Nyawose, announced that Miya was leaving and he was to be replaced by Bhekithemba Mvubu, also from the EFF.
“Councillor Thabani Miya of the EFF has resigned as a member of the executive committee with immediate effect.
“The EFF Whip councillor Jimmy Khambule advised the speaker of the party’s resolution that the said position in the executive committee be filled by councillor Bhekithemba Otto Mvubu,” the municipality said in a statement on behalf of Nyawose.
Thwala has since clarified that Miya is faced with the heavy task of mobilising for elections in Mpumalanga in the run-up to next year’s provincial and national elections.
NEWS: EFF Councillor, Thabani Miya, has resigned as a member of eThekwini municipality exco and the chair of the chair the human settlements and infrastructure committee. He will be replaced by Bhekithemba Mvubu. No reasons were advanced for Miya's immediate departure. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) February 28, 2023
“Thabani Miya resigned because he is going to Mpumalanga where he is deployed, that is the reason why he left the exco.
“His workload requires him to be free at all times and he could not be a member of the exco where he should be a full-time councillor working every day,” Thwala told IOL.
Regarding their relationship with the ANC, he said they were on the same page and what was needed was services for the people, adding they were not coalition partners, but merely voted with it.
“We are fine, we are getting along very well. If we have issues we raise them and they are ironed out,” he said.
Miya is a member of the EFF’s central command team having been elected to the body at the last elective conference of the party.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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