Durban — The IFP in KwaZulu-Natal is expected to decide whether to suspend its Msinga mayor, Mlethi Ndlovu, following his arrest on Friday.
The mayor was arrested while on his way back home after attending the old citizen’s game, organised by the SA Local Government Association in Durban.
He was reportedly charged with possession of an illegal firearm and is due in Msinga Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Party spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the party had been made aware of the arrest, but had not been briefed with the full set of information and circumstances.
The mayor’s arrest would be discussed by the national executive committee at its weekly meeting on Monday, he said.
“The IFP relies on the SAPS-led investigation, and will accordingly take decisions on the basis of due process of the investigation as per the recommendations of the National Council Task Team that was dispatched to investigate this matter,” said Hlengwa.
Sources in the party said although the IFP did not have a step-aside policy for criminally charged members, it was highly likely that it would suspend Ndlovu pending his case.
Police in the province said the matter had been taken over by a political killings unit which reports directly to Police Minister Bheki Cele.
Police Ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said: “The task team won’t confirm the identity of whoever has been arrested until they appear in court; this is standard with all arrests, so I can’t confirm your question.”
Ndlovu was said to have been arrested with another party councillor. Last month the mayor and the same councillor were publicly named by another IFP councillor, Siyabonga Ntuli, as being the ones who had organised the attack where Ntuli survived.
In the same attack, IFP councillor Siyanda Magubane, who was the municipal public accounts committee chairperson, was killed and Ntuli survived. At the funeral, Ntuli named the mayor and the councillor, claiming he saw both during the attack.
After Ntuli’s video clip where he named the mayor went viral, the IFP sent its task team to speak to both Ntuli and the mayor but said it would not suspend the mayor because Ntuli did not open a case against him.
Sources in the municipality said the mayor and Ntuli had not been seeing eye to eye. Another councillor said that after speaking at the funeral, Ntuli was placed under protection in an undisclosed location and always joined council meetings virtually. Attempts to get comment from Ntuli were unsuccessful..
Daily News