Philani Mavundla eThekwini

Philani Mavundla helped the ANC secure victory in the eThekwini metro council on Wednesday, 24 November. Photo: Twitter/@FriendsofZuma

eThekwini Deputy Mayor, Philani Mavundla, to challenge his ousting from EXCO

ABC leader, Philani Mavundla has been voted out of the eThekwini Municipality EXCO after losing a motion of no confidence against him.

Philani Mavundla eThekwini

Philani Mavundla helped the ANC secure victory in the eThekwini metro council on Wednesday, 24 November. Photo: Twitter/@FriendsofZuma

Abantu Batho Congress leader, Philani Mavundla has vowed to challenge his ousting as Deputy Mayor in the City of eThekwini in court.

The coalition between the African National Congress (ANC) and ABC in the City of eThekwini ended after Mavundla was voted out of the Executive Committee on Tuesday, 13 December. On Monday, 12 December, Mavundla obtained an urgent interdict to prevent the EXCO meeting from sitting and the ANC from ousting him. 

ETHEKWINI DEPUTY MAYOR PHILANI MAVUNDLA AXED

The Durban High Court granted Mavundla an interim order preventing the eThekwini Municipality from removing him without complying with council rules, however he was still ousted during a council meeting.

Mavundla said he knows why he was removed and he will be challenging the outcome in court so he can tell his side of the story.

According to the coalition agreement, Mavundla was set to remain as Deputy Mayor in the metro until 2026. 

There have been allegations that the relationship between Mavundla and eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, has been sour for some time. 

On Tuesday, 125 people voted in favour of the motion, with 59 opposing it and five abstaining. 

Following the Local Government Elections in 2021, the ANC looked set to lose control of the eThekwini Metro at the first council meeting on Monday, 22 November, after the IFP pulled out of its agreement with the ruling party and decided to side with the DA and EFF to oust the ANC. 

Mavundla was once an ANC member – and was the mayor of Umvoti in 2011. He left the party in July 2019 and joined the National Freedom Party (NFP), but it was not long before the property tycoon was on the move again and formed his party – the ABC, which won two seats in the metro council in the 2021 Local Government Elections.

When questioned about whether his vote was bought he said he would be too expensive to buy. He then explained his decision to switch allegiance as follows:

“Let’s look at it this way; we have got 18 small parties in that bloc. The first issue is that on the other side you have the DA. So, if we go and vote in that bloc it means that we are saying we need a DA mayor here in Durban. It can’t be,” Mavundla said .

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