Latest news with #Mabuyakhulu
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
South Africa ready for US sanctions
South Africa is ready for sanctions being considered by the United States against Pretoria over its foreign policy, Mike Mabuyakhulu, a senior leader of the African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal, has said. 'When we decided to take Israel to the International Court of Justice we knew what was going to follow – that friends of the Israeli apartheid state would isolate us and that is what's happening now. Yes we will suffer the consequences but we are prepared because we are standing up for a just cause,' Mabuyakhulu told a gathering in Durban on Monday evening. Attendees turned up to welcome a senior Palestinian delegation to the city. They included members of Fatah, the second largest party in the Palestinian Legislature and Fatah Secretary General, Jibril Rajoub. Mabuyakhulu's comments comes amid the passing of a bill by the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The bill is aimed at reviewing its relationship between the US and South Africa and possible sanctions against South Africa for policies which the US disagrees with. These include South Africa's position on the Israel/Gaza war and South Africa's expropriation bill. The Trump administration has misinterpreted the bill as allowing the seizure of white owned, Afrikaner agricultural land without compensation. As a further consequence, South Africa also faces the wrath of Trump's tariff war on the world – with a potential 30% tariff on goods to the US, bar a few exceptions like key South African minerals like gold, platinum, coal, manganese and chrome. The bill will still need to go through further legal hoops and a vote in the house of Representatives before it could become law and binding. There's mixed predictions so far on what the outcome will be, with most political analysts predicting it will not muster enough votes to succeed. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has reacted with calm to the looming threat, saying he is 'hopeful' of a solution to avert a crisis. But, Mabuyakhulu is less diplomatic, saying the ANC, and South Africa, did not fear the consequences of standing with Palestine. 'We do not fear because we stand for the right cause. We stand tall as a nation proud of its own freedoms. In the words of tata Madiba our friends are our friends and your enemies cannot be our enemies. We shall stand with Palestine at all times, through thick and thin,' he said. First published by IOL
IOL News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
ANC expected to sack KwaDukuza Mayor Ali Ngidi amid governance concerns
The KwaDukuza Municipality is expected to have a new mayor by the end of Wednesday. Image: Facebook In what would be a major decision since appointed in February, Jeff Radebe's KwaZulu-Natal provincial task team (PTT) is expected to announce the sacking of KwaDukuza Local Municipality Mayor Ali Ngidi. The announcement is expected to be made by the PTT coordinator, Mike Mabuyakhulu, in a meeting with the municipality leadership and the newly appointed regional task team on Wednesday afternoon. The party did not specify Mabuyakhulu's visit to the troubled north coast municipality in a media invitation, except to say the critical meeting is convened to address pressing governance-related matters affecting the municipality. The statement added that the ANC is deeply concerned about developments that threaten the stability and integrity of the municipality. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ However, reliable sources within the municipality said Mabuyakhulu will table the recommendations by the team that the party appointed to investigate allegations of maladministration, particularly the vehicle and security scandals involving the mayor. The source said the party has made a decision to fire both the mayor and his deputy. In February, the mayor was accused of using the municipality's vehicle to transport his children to school. The said vehicle was reported to be the one that the mayor had refused to use, citing its mechanical fault. His refusal to use the vehicle forced the municipality to hire a car for his official use. The source said the last straw was when, in April, the ANC discovered that the municipality was paying R173,000 for the mayor's home security without a known threat assessment and approval by the council. The party has appointed a team to investigate all the allegations against the mayor. Ngidi was appointed in November after the removal of Lindiwe Nhanca, who had been appointed in 2021. She fell out with the disbanded Siboniso Duma and Bheki Mtolo-led provincial executive and was fired. If Ngidi is removed, the R3.2 billion-budget municipality will have the third mayor within a five-year term. ANC provincial spokesperson Fanle Sibisi said the ANC will respond to the question on whether the mayor has been fired during a media briefing in the afternoon.
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
ANC warns against the weaponisation of governance in KwaZulu-Natal
ANC KZN PTT Co-ordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu says decisive action is needed to end instability in municipalities, tackle corruption, and rebuild public trust in local government through clean governance and accountability. The summit focused on the state of local government. Party leader Mike Mabuyakhulu stated during a media briefing on Tuesday, 'The delegates noted that there appears to be a very focused campaign to selectively target ANC-led municipalities when addressing allegations of maladministration or challenges in leadership, to the exclusion of municipalities led by ANC political competitors.' The ANC emphasised that while accountability is essential, the application of the law must be consistent across all municipalities. The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has raised concerns over the perceived targeting of its municipalities by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) . The issue was highlighted during the alliance summit meeting held this past weekend. Mabuyakhulu expressed that the posture of the KwaZulu-Natal Cogta is perceived as overtly partisan, with its executive authority leading the charge. He reaffirmed the party's commitment to clean governance at the local government level, stating that those found acting in contravention of the law should be dealt with decisively, irrespective of political affiliations. 'The summit further resolved that this selective and partisan approach in overseeing municipalities must be addressed as a matter of urgency,' he added. Mabuyakhulu acknowledged that the MEC of Cogta and the department have a legal responsibility entrusted to them by law. He urged them to execute their authority without fear or favour, but also stressed the need for consistency in the application of the law. 'Our concern is not about the application of the law; it is about the inconsistency in its application. We insist that no ANC-led municipalities should be deliberately targeted, as this undermines the consistent application of the law. We have raised this issue and will continue to do so in the GPU (Government of Provincial Unity),' he concluded. KZN Cogta was contacted but had not responded by the time of publication. THE MERCURY
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
'No corruption, no nepotism': Mike Mabuyakhulu outlines ANC's local government rescue plan
ANC KZN PTT Co-ordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu says decisive action is needed to end instability in municipalities, tackle corruption, and rebuild public trust in local government through clean governance and accountability. African National Congress (ANC) KwaZulu-Natal Coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu says the provincial branch, together with its alliance partners, traditional leaders, activists, and progressive formations, emerged from a weekend summit in Durban 'united, determined, and inspired to restore the dignity of the local government sphere across the province.' Addressing the media on Tuesday, Mabuyakhulu said over 500 delegates from all 54 municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal attended the event, which acknowledged the urgent crises facing local government. 'The summit recognised that deep-seated political and administrative challenges have weakened service delivery, undermined public trust and delayed the advancement of the communities,' he said. Mabuyakhulu highlighted serious concerns about mismanagement and corruption, citing a case in which a district municipality sold water tankers at an auction, later acquired by a local mayor who now supplies the same district. 'In that regard, this new owner, supposed owner, is now a supplier of water tankers to the same district,' he said. He criticised what the ANC views as selective targeting of ANC-led municipalities by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), arguing that its executive leadership is 'hugely and overtly partisan.'
IOL News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Bruised but Unbroken: ANC vows to serve KZN people despite MK, IFP by-election blows
ANC says it is focused on rebuilding in KwaZulu-Natal, despite defections and declining support after losing three wards in the recent by-elections Despite the African National Congress (ANC) having been shown the door in KwaZulu-Natal by opposition parties and losing several key wards, the party said it holds no grudges against the province's voters and will continue serving the community. 'We have contested five wards since we came in almost two months ago. We admit we have lost three of those wards,' said Mike Mabuyakhulu, coordinator of the ANC's provincial task team. 'We retained two in Richmond and Ward 28 in KwaDuduza, and last week we lost Ward 18 in Mandeni.' "However, the ANC did gain one ward, Ward 12 in uPhongolo, from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)," Mabuyakhulu added. He was responding to questions about the ANC's declining performance in recent by-elections, including losses to former President Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party. The comments came ahead of a feedback meeting with ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, who visited the province to assess the task team's work since its appointment in February. 'We have done our analysis. We understand what has been happening on the ground,' Mabuyakhulu said. 'Of course, we are democrats. We've gone back to those communities because we have a campaign called Ukhongolose Ubuyela Kubantu - (the ANC is going back to the people).' Despite the setbacks, Mabuyakhulu insisted the party remains active in local governance. 'In those local governments, we are still going to deliver services to our people. The ANC has taken the position that we will not be angry with our people, and hence, we are going to serve them.' The MK Party recently won Ward 18 in Mandeni on the province's north coast, defeating the ANC with 813 votes to 533. Voting in that ward was marred by controversy, as an Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) official allegedly took a scanner to a private home to charge it. The official has since been suspended pending an investigation. The MK Party has also captured other wards from the ANC in recent by-elections, including Ward 110 in the eThekwini Metro, previously held by the Democratic Alliance (DA). In February, the IFP secured Ward 15 in the Mhlabuyalingana Local Municipality with just over 1,300 votes. The ANC came in second with 834 votes, and the MK Party followed with 531. The seat became vacant following the death of ANC councillor Gidla Mthethwa. On Thursday, IOL News reported that speaking in KwaZulu-Natal, Mbalula acknowledged the ANC's declining support in the province. 'We have lost, and we did not camouflage that loss in KwaZulu-Natal,' Mbalula said. 'We are a 17% party, and we need to get out of that. We've been working on a program of renewal and a comeback in KZN.' He emphasised that the ANC has not ignored its setbacks but is focused on rebuilding. 'Is it working so far? It is. There are sparks of good work being done,' he said. 'I'm not saying everything is hunky-dory. We are winning. We are not unconcerned.' Mbalula admitted that key ANC members have defected to the MK Party and IFP, contributing to the party's losses. However, he said the ANC has made gains in new areas and retained some of its traditional strongholds. 'We are not here to blame anyone. We are looking into our own house,' Mbalula said. 'We've reconfigured our leadership and are reinforcing our structures to build a disciplined and effective organisation.' IOL Politics
