Zandile Gumede is the victim: supporters
Supporters of eThekwini's axed mayor Zandile Gumede believe she was the victim of a plot to have her removed from office.
They are not convinced her redeployment was triggered by performance, the reason given by the African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal.
Spokesperson for Gumede's supporters, Mzomuhle Dube, has been commenting on the party's provincial executive committee's decision to redeploy all party members serving on executive committees of eThekwini and Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg).
"When they asked her to take a leave of absence, it was based on the fact that she was in conflict with the law. Now suddenly they are coming with a new strategy saying they are assessing performance."
Dube says the branches that support Gumede will study the report and the reasons given by the ruling party before deciding what to do next.
"For the issue of the mayor, the deployment is the prerogative of the ANC. However, what we are going to do is look closely in terms of what mechanism they followed and use to take this decision. Was it the legal process, how did they arrive at this outcome?
"That process will then advise as to whether we should seek further interventions.”
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Gumede was placed on special leave in May after she was arrested by the Hawks in connection with an alleged dodgy waste removal tender dating back to 2016.
She is out on R50,000 bail. Gumede is due back in court in early January next year.
Opposition parities in the province believe the mayor's removal was a long time coming.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) says issues surrounding the municipality's leadership have affected services, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) hopes such concerns will now be adequately addressed.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed the decision to remove Gumede and other EXCO leaders in the City, but raised concern about the possible redeployment to other roles.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has tasked the party's provincial working committee to fill all vacancies caused by its decision to redeploy EXCO members at eThekwini and Msunduzi within one week.