Amahlathi residents demand removal of ‘divisive’ councillor
“I am an asset, therefore I ain’t going nowhere.”
This was the response of Amahlathi local municipality ward 11 councillor Ngenanimazizi Osmond Sidinana after a group of unhappy residents protested against him on Sunday, demanding he be removed immediately.
The group, who held up placards during ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Chief Jongumsobomvu Maqoma’s gravesite at Ntaba kandoda, near Keiskammahoek, accused Sidinana of dividing the community and failing to deal with service delivery issues.
The protesters said they wanted the attention of Ramaphosa and other ANC leaders. However, they dispersed before the ANC leadership’s arrival.
Ward 11 comprises the Keiskammahoek villages of Lower Zingcuka, Upper Zingcuka, Lower Ngqumeya, Upper Ngqumeya, Upper Rhabhula, Lower Rhabhula and Tshoxa. One of the protesters’ leaders, Mwezi Tisani, said Sidinana had never been their preferred choice as ward councillor.
He said they had wanted Sizeka Mqwebedu to be their councillor.
“We want him removed with immediate effect,” Tisani said.
“Sidinana is old and is a pensioner. Ward 11 people wanted someone younger. By protesting on Sunday, we wanted the president to see how unhappy we are about the conduct of our councillor.
“We want a ward councillor with a track record and who has an interest of the community as a whole.”
Nomzamo Mtyhi said: “Councillor Sidinana is dividing the community of ward 11. There are two groupings in our ward because him. He is leading a faction.
“When there are employment opportunities, he chooses his favourites.
“He has been insulting people who question his conduct. He is also very poor in communication and I would assume it is because he is leading a faction.”
Sidinana denied the accusations. He said the people protesting against him had never attended any of his meetings.
“They are liars,” he said. “Their limited information on local governance matters is a problem. It looks like they are not schooled enough on municipal matters. Their little politics with limited information will not be allowed.
“Being a councillor is not an inheritance, it is about the capacity to deliver on the mandate given to you. I am not a newcomer in local government matters. I worked in local government administration for 44 years and retired in 2020.”
He said his experience in local government was unmatched and his being a councillor was a way of ploughing back into his community.
“After my retirement, the people of my locality felt, because of my experience and expertise, I needed to be used as a ward councillor.
“I am an asset in my municipality and therefore I will be not be removed by them.
“Local government is legislated and needs people with skills and not just people who go to council meetings and only say ‘agreed’ without knowing the details and implications of what was agreed upon.
“I have worked in the integrated development plan, performance management and land use management units of local government.”
He also said most people in the ward supported him.