Durban - After weeks of bickering and botched special sittings to fill the vacancy, the battle for the position of deputy mayor in the eThekwini municipality is now over.
This was after Zandile Myeni, a long-serving councillor of the NFP was elected on Friday night on the back of the support of the ANC, EFF and other minority parties in the council.
Myeni, defeated Mdu Nkosi, a councillor of the IFP whose candidacy was backed by the likes of Zwakele Mncwango of ActionSA and Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) of Philani Mavundla.
Myeni, the NFP’s provincial secretary, obtained 128 votes while her closest competitor, Nkosi, obtained 81 votes.
Early this week the NFP announced that it would vote with the ANC-EFF alliance in all hung municipalities.
Speaking to IOL shortly after her election and amid a flurry of negative comments on social media that she would be a puppet of the ANC and not hold it accountable like Mavundla who was a thorn in the flesh, Myeni dismissed that as misplaced.
“To those who think that I am going to be the puppet of the ANC, I don’t want to dwell much on their feelings.
WATCH: EThekwini municipality Speaker, Thabani Nyawose, announcing the results which yielded the NFP's Zandile Myeni as the new deputy mayor to Mxolisi Kaunda. She defeated Mdu Nkosi of the IFP who was backed mainly by the opposition. @IOL pic.twitter.com/RWkw2SNaom
“But what I can say to them is that one of the things as a bloc we believe in is that at eThekwini municipality there should stability.
“After stability there will be an implementation of the IDP (Integrated Development Plan) that is there at eThekwini, they must watch the space,” she said.
WATCH: The newly elected eThekwini municipality’s deputy mayor, Zandile Myeni from the NFP says contrary to what her detractors think about her, she won't be a puppet of the ANC. @IOL pic.twitter.com/kHpO0XwCol
Her election to the position left the benches of the ANC elated, with Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, who on the same day survived a vote of no confidence, warmly welcoming and embracing her as she took her position.
WATCH: IEC officials, under watchful eyes of party representatives, are now counting the votes. The new eThekwini municipality deputy mayor would be announced shortly. @IOL pic.twitter.com/Kyq1jo9NyC
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) February 3, 2023
Kaunda later congratulated Myeni while speaking after the elections, saying he hoped that they would work together to take the city of Durban to greater heights.
Also congratulating Myeni for her election to be the second in command in the only metro in KwaZulu-Natal was Nkosi.
Nkosi said Myeni deserves the position since she is an ethical leader he had known for quite some time.
UPDATE: The special council sitting now moves to nominate candidates for the vacant position of deputy mayor. Councillor Visvin Reddy stood up to nominate Councillor Zandile Myeni from the NFP & the proposal went through after being seconded & Myeni accepted the nomination. @IOL
Myeni's party, the NFP, said her election would now bring stability to the city.
"We congratulate Cde Myeni on her victory and we are grateful to the bloc she chairs, the ANC and EFF councillors who voted for her.
"This is not a victory for her or the NFP but it's a victory for the residents of the city, especially now that there would be stability in the municipality.
UPDATE: Philani Mavundla has nominated Mdu Nkosi from the IFP to take on Zandile Myeni who is backed by the ANC and the EFF. The nomination was supported by Zwakele Mncwango from ActionSA. Nkosi accepted the nomination & the matter would be decided through a secret ballot. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) February 3, 2023
"Now the task she is faced with is that of ensuring that services are delivered to the residents.
"As the organisation, we will support her and we urge councillors to also support and guide our councillor for the city to prosper," said the NFP's secretary-general, Canaan Mdlsteshe who was observing the voting from the public gallery.
UPDATE: The motion to remove eThekwini municipality mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, has failed. Kaunda says he will now proceed with his work to deliver for the people of eThekwini. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) February 3, 2023
Meanwhile, ANC councillor, Patience Sishange was voted as the new Whip of the Council with the same votes as Myeni - 128 votes.
She took a position which was left vacant by Thembo Ntuli to act as the chairperson of the Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee which was once chaired by Mavundla before his fallout with the ANC.
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