EFF considers challenge to election of eThekwini deputy mayor

EFF leader Julius Malema yesterday announced that the party has instructed its lawyers to look into the ANC's decision to back the election of Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) founder Philani Mavundla as eThekwini deputy mayor.

Mavundla was elected deputy mayor and a member of the executive committee following the metropolitan municipality's inaugural council meeting – the ABC won two seats.

He was elected despite earlier claiming he was part of a group of small parties that wanted to oust the ANC. “We have instructed our lawyers to look at what they did,” Malema said.

“Those positions belong to the ANC. We think something illegal could have happened there.”

He said the eThekwini metro would be receiving court papers very soon.

“The ANC gave itself power it does not have. That's a party seat, it's allocated to a specific political party.”

Malema added that the executive committee positions were allocated by the Electoral Commission of SA.

According to the EFF leader, eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, who was elected on Wednesday, will be removed in less than a year.

Malema said the EFF asked Metsimaholo mayor Selloane Motjeane to resign, as the party did not vote for the ANC. He said Motjeane has resigned with immediate effect.

Malema expressed his happiness with the EFF's performance in the local government elections earlier this month, when it garnered 982 seats in municipalities across the country.

“We are generally happy with how the EFF has performed. We don't have big egos, the agenda is bigger than us.

“We have a country to rescue,” he said.

Malema said the EFF's immediate competitor was the ANC and that “when you remove the party from power the playing field will be levelled”.

“There is nothing magical that will happen between now and 2024 for the ANC to win Gauteng,” he predicted.

“Why do you want to feel sorry for the ANC? They must go to hell and burn. We have no sympathy for the ANC.”

Malema said the EFF entered the unsuccessful coalition talks with the ANC with the aim of ensuring that it was loyal to its decisions.

He said the EFF held talks with suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule about eThekwini and other municipalities.

“eThekwini was delivered by RET forces and not CR17 and not Luthuli House. They did not know what was happening at all. President Cyril Ramaphosa did not save one, not even one municipality. Nothing,” Malema said, adding that the eThekwini metro was saved by Jacob Zuma and the RET forces in the municipality.

He said the ANC, for some reason, still believed it was not losing power.

“We are here to bury the ANC and we are going to bury it,” Malema said.