Sezimi ngomumo izinhlelo zokuchitha iMeya yaseNdumeni
LIBONAKALA selimi ngothi ku-Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) ngaphansi kuMasipala iNdumeni, eDundee njengoba lisengcupheni ikusasa leMeya yoMkhandlu wakhona, uMhlonishwa uSiboniso Mbatha. Lokhu kulandela isiphakamiso esifakwe amakhansela kaKhongolose kuSomlomo woMkhandlu, uNks uBongiwe Mbatha ngoba ekhala ngokuthi awagculisekile ngobuholi bakhe. USomlomo, uNks uMbatha ukuqinisekisile lokhu izolo ngesikhathi ekhuluma nephephandaba iBAYEDE, ukuthi sikhona isiphakamiso esifakwe ngamakhansela kaKhongolose sokungabethembi ubuholi beMeya uMbatha.
“Okwamanje sizolinda kuhlale iSigungu Esilawula uMkhandlu kuqala ebese silinda nombiko waso ngaphambi kokuba sibe nomhlangano woMkhandlu kaMasipala,” kusho uNks Mbatha. UNks Mbatha uqhube wathi: “Ngaphandle kwalokho zikhona nezinye iziphakamiso ezifakwe amakhansela kaKhongolose okusazobhungwa ngazo. Esinye sazo esodaba lokubuyiswa kweMeneja kaMasipala uMnu uThabani Biyela obesemiswe iminyaka emine ehola ehlezi ekhaya. Okwamanje asikabi nalo usuku lokuthi umhlangano woMkhandlu uzohlala nini ngoba yiwo okuyobe sekuxoxwa kuwo ngalesi siphakamiso.”
IMeya uMbatha kuvela izinsolo eziningana ngayo zokuthi iphethe ngendlela engagculisi eMkhandlwini, nokuthi ibuye isolwe ngokuthi iqashe unina wengane yayo yamenza umsizi waseHhovisi elibhekele izindaba zayo. Lesi senzo samakhansela kaKhongolose sokufaka isiphakamiso sokuba kukhishwe esikhundleni iMeya uMbatha, sicasule amakhansela e-IFP okubalwa noNks uMbatha abakhala ngokuthi uMbatha uhlukunyezwa ngoba eyingane njengoba ineminyaka engama-29 ubudala. Nokho iBAYEDE inabo ubufakazi obuyosetshenziswa uKhongolose uma usugadla kuMeya uMbatha, obuthinta izinsolo zokuxhumana obekukhona phakathi kwayo nesikhulu esimisiwe nokukhwabaniswa kwezimali.
Ngaphandle kwalokho uNks uMbatha uphinde wakhala ngobekade ebambe esobumeneja yoMkhandlu, UMnu uDesiga Padayachee kodwa osamisiwe ngezinsolo zenkohlakalo nokungaziphathi kahle ngokuthi nguye oshiye exove amakhansela kuMasipala. Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi uMnu uPadayachee ubekade eyilungu le-ANC khona eMkhandlwini eqhoqhobele izikhundla eziningi, nokuthe uma i-ANC ihlwithwa amandla yi-IFP wagxumela kuyo, nayo yamkhetha njengebamba leMeneja kaMasipala. UMnyango waKwaCogta wabe usumangalela uMasipala enkantolo ufuna kususwe ngokushesha uPadayachee ngoba kukhalazwa ngokuthi akanazo izicucu zemfundo ezifanele lesi sikhundla sokuba yibamba leMeneja kaMasipala. IBAYEDE inawo amakhophi esinqumo senkantolo nokuyilapho inqume ukuba akhishwe kulesi sikhundla. Akugcinanga lapho njengoba kunanesiphakamiso esasenziwe ngowayebambe njengeMeneja kaMasipala uMnu uSilinga ngonyaka odlule, wambhalela incwadi evuthayo yokuba aphendule ngokubeka izizathu zokuthi kungani engeniswe emsebenzini ngokwezincomo zakwaCogta. Kuthiwa uPadayachee lokhu wakushaya indiva waziqhubekela nokusebenza.
Kodwa ngemuva kokubuyiswa kukaBiyela ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kulo nyaka izinto zithande ukumbhedela uPadayachee njengoba egcine emisiwe emsebenzini ngomhla zingama-21 kuNdasa ngowezi-2017, kusetshenziswa isiphakamiso esenziwa nguSilinga. Umthombo ongaphakathi kuMasipala upotshozele iBAYEDE ukuthi uPadayachee phakathi kokunye amiselwe khona indaba yeziqu zakhe zobumeli kanye nodaba lwezinsolo zokushaya omunye wabasebenzi besifazane.
OlweMeya uMbatha
“Kusukelwa iMeya ngoba iyingane kudlalwa ngayo sekuthiwa kufanele ikhishwe esikhundleni ngenxa nje yalesi sisebenzi (Padayachee) ebesinezinhloso zaso okumanje sihamba siyikhuluma kabi. Lesi sisebenzi siqhathe ngisho thina makhansela eNkatha sazibona sinukana singasabhekani. Kumanje lesi sikhulu esisimisile esingafuni nokudalula igama laso, sibhala kuwona wonke amaphephandaba omphakathi alapha eDundee sikhuluma izinto ezingekho ngoMkhandlu ngoba sifuna kungasebenzeki,” kusho elinye ikhansela le-IFP ebelingeneme nelicele ukungadalulwa. IMeya uMbatha ngesikhathi ithintwa ithe isizwile ngalesi siphakamiso samakhansela kaKhongolose kodwa iyazi ukuthi akusiwo asifakile.
“Ngizwile ngalesi siphakamiso sokuba ngikhishwe esikhundleni sami kodwa okungishaqise kakhulu ukuthi lesi siphakamiso asisuki emakhanseleni kaKhongolose ngqo. Ngibikelwe ukuthi lesi siphakamiso silethwe ngemvilophi kuwo amakhansela silethwa yiso lesi sisebenzi esimisiwe. Ngisho amanye amakhansela kaKhongolose ayasiphika lesi siphakamiso nokwenze ngabona ukuthi kuyiqiniso lokhu engitshelwe khona ukuthi yiso lesi sisebenzi esenza konke lokhu kungcola. Ubufakazi balokhu ukuthi ezinye iziphakamiso ebezifakwe amakhansela kaKhongolose sezihoxisiwe ngoba abevele engazifakanga ngokwawo kodwa abethunywe yilo msebenzi obenesikhundla ngaphakathi kumasipala,” kusho uMeya uMbatha. Uthe sebebuyise zonke izisebenzi ezingama-20 ebezixoshwe emsebenzini yilesi sikhulu, wathi obekubakhathaza ukuthi bekuxoshwa abantu abamnyama kuphela kuyekwa amaNdiya futhi nabo bewuMkhandlu bebengathintwa.
UMbatha uzichithe njengembudane nezinsolo zokuthi uqashe unina wengane yakhe njengobhekele izindaba zakhe eHhovisi leMeya. “Lawo ngamanga aluhlaza. umuntu ongumsizi eHhovisi lami asihlobene futhi anginabudlelwano bezothando naye,” kuzihlangula uMbatha. Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi uMbatha uke wamashelwa ngonyaka odlule amalungu omphakathi nakaKhongolose emsola ngokuthi wenza umkhonyovu wemali eyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa. Ngokwemibiko eyasabalala nakwabezindaba kwavela ukuthi uMbatha, wasebenzisa imininingwane yesimemo esingumgunyathi eyayimveza njengomuntu obehambele umhlangano owawuseBloemfontein. Lo mhlangano kuvela ukuthi wawuhlelwe ngabeDemocracy Development Programme ungoNtulikazi ngowezi-2016 ngaphambi kokuba aqokelwe kulesi sikhundla. La mahemuhemu omhlangano kwabuye kwahlaluka ukuthi kwakuyinto eyayingazange ibekhona.
Nokho kwabuye kwavela ukuthi kukhona owayezama ukubhixa iMeya ngodaka ngokwakha itulo elingekho. UMnu uSduduzo Mdluli oyikhansela le-ANC, uvele wamangala uma ezwa ukuthi lesi siphakamiso abasenzile bayasiphika futhi basifake ngoba bethunywe esinye sabasebenzi esisamisiwe. “Thina le ndaba asizukuyixoxa nabezindaba ngoba silinde umhlangano esizoba nawo woMkhandlu esiyoyikhuluma kuwo. Lokhu okushiwo yiMeya asikwazi. Thina sizifakele isiphakamiso kuSomlomo sokuba kukhishwe iMeya esikhundleni futhi asijiki lapho ngakho asikwazi lokhu esikusho ngathi,” kusho uMdluli.