[ad_1]
- IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa says his party has gone to court to remove KZN MPL deputy Zandile Gumede from office.
- He said they filed documents in PMB Superior Court on Tuesday and that the case will be heard on January 14, 2020.
- Hlabisa said that Gumede should not be earning a salary as she “resigned” while continuing her corruption affair.
The IFP and its leader Velenkosini Hlabisa say they have gone to court to remove former eThekwini mayor and deputy deputy Zandile Gumede.
“The IFP in KZN today submitted documents to the Pietermaritzburg High Court, requesting that the judiciary annul the appointment of Zandile Gumede by the ANC in KZN, as a member of the KZN Provincial Legislature (MPL),” said the president of the IFP, Velenkosini Hlabisa, on Wednesday.
The case is expected to be heard on January 14, 2021, and Hlabisa said that the president of the legislature, Ntobeko Boyce, and the ANC in KZN were the first and second respondents, respectively.
Hlabisa said he made numerous calls to the ANC in KZN, “and our request to the national leaders of the ANC to intervene in this matter has fallen on deaf ears.”
“Therefore, we are now taking this fight against the irrational appointment of Zandile Gumede as MPL to the courts. We have exhausted all other avenues and it is now up to our offer in Superior Court to resolve things once and for all.
READ ALSO | Zandile Gumede was sworn in as MPL in the KZN legislature despite ongoing corruption case
Gumede was controversially appointed as a member of the KZN legislature on August 19 amid allegations related to corruption stemming from the Durban Solid Waste R430 million affair currently in court.
Shortly after his appointment, the ANC at KZN said they subscribed to the notion of innocence until proven guilty.
National outcry
His appointment sparked a national outcry with President Cyril Ramaphosa and the national ANC declaring that their members in public office had to “resign” from their posts if they were involved in criminal cases.
Gumede had done so, but opposition parties and civic bodies regretted that he still earned a million rand a year in salary without serving the legislature.
READ | The oath of Zandile Gumede, accused of corruption, as MPL provokes the ire of civic groups
Gumede is one of the main defendants, and the Hawks implicate her in using her position as mayor of eThekwini to influence the tender.
Hlabisa said that Gumede “sank” service delivery at eThekwini when she was mayor, “as she placed herself and her needs above the lives and livelihoods of people on the subway.”
“The ANC’s refusal to completely rid the province’s public service from the brand of failed leadership and mismanagement by Zandile Gumede is blindly robbing the residents of KZN.
‘Slap in the face’
“It is a slap from the ANC to the public that: Zandile Gumede, while suspended, earns a generous salary doing absolutely nothing while being investigated by law enforcement for alleged corrupt dealings.”
ANC KZN spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said the party had not yet received the court documents.
“Once we do, we will be in a position to respond.”
KZN legislature spokesperson Nomusa Phungula said the chamber speaker had also not received court documents.
“The legislature has not received court documents at this time, therefore we cannot comment.”
Gumede’s spokesman, Mzomuhle Dube, declined to comment, referring News24 to the ANC and legislature officials.
Did you know that you can comment on this article? Subscribe to News24 and add your voice to the conversation.
