Mugabe stance on NGOs necessary for Jo’burg: Acting mayor

SOUTH African opposition Patriotic Alliance party secretary Kenny Kunene said the late former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s tough stance on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) was necessary to restore sanity in Johannesburg.

During his two-day stint as Johannesburg’s acting mayor, when he stood in for mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, Kunene conducted raids on hijacked buildings in the Johannesburg central business district.

Several NGOs and human rights organisations condemned the raids, describing them as illegal.

Kunene, however, vowed to continue as he attempts to “clean up the city”.

“We are presenting it officially to the mayoral committee, it needs to be a priority of the government of local unity,”he said.

“We can’t complain about revenue loss yet we have over 1 700 buildings that have been taken over by criminal syndicates who collect money from our people.”

Kunene castigated “NGOs masquerading as political parties” and challenged them to declare their political interests.

“If they want to govern, they must go and contest elections like we did. NGOs must not get involved in the work of the government. It is none of their business.

“We have a crisis of buildings being hijacked in this country, our townships and suburbs are infested with illegal foreigners and drug dealers who are not South African,” Kunene said.

“When we fulfil our mandate and act as the representative of our constituency who has been voted into government, they want to question us.”

Kunene, who is the transport member of the mayoral commission [MMC], vowed not to allow NGOs to “misuse” the country’s laws.

“I understand why Robert Mugabe banned all NGOs in Zimbabwe and only allowed NGOs led by Zimbabweans that seek to help Zimbabweans to exist.”

He accused the alleged criminals of illegal electricity and water connections as well as drug dealing.