Xolani Khumalo will not be Ekurhuleni MMC, says ActionSA
By Des Erasmus
ActionSA mayoral candidate for the city of Ekurhuleni, Xolani Khumalo, will not be taking up the position of MMC for community services, the party’s interim national chairperson, Michael Beaumont, told Inside Politics on Wednesday.
“We were as shocked as everyone else when we saw the announcement,” he said.
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Beaumont said the party was not part of the coalition in the city, had declined to attend a mayoral committee meeting on Tuesday night (where presumably the decision was taken), but still received a statement from the city “at 11pm” announcing Khumalo’s appointment.
That statement had been widely circulated on social media networks by Wednesday morning.
“We told the city [the statement] was false, and they said ‘well, we are issuing it, and you can just refute it afterwards’,” Beaumont said.
Khumalo, a self-styled anti-crime crusader, was charged in January with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm after allegedly pointing a firearm at a suspected drug dealer during a police anti-drug operation. He was released on R2,000 bail.
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Posting on X shortly after speaking to IP, Beaumont said: “ActionSA understands that many South Africans were understandably excited to see Xolani as a MMC but you need to know this:
1. The portfolio offered was by-laws, not safety, so the Mayor wanted to relegate Xolani to a writer of fines, not a fighter of crime.
2. Crime cannot be fought while reporting to the bosses of the criminals Xolani goes after.
3. For the war on crime to be won, Xolani must lead government after the local elections this year, not take instructions from those implicated in criminal wrongdoing.”
In its own statement on Wednesday morning, ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said the party distanced itself from the “false media statement” from the city.
“This statement is entirely fabricated and does not reflect any engagement or agreement involving ActionSA.
“Following repeated and unsuccessful attempts by Mayor Xhakaza to solicit ActionSA’s participation in his administration, I have consistently made it clear that we will not join his failing government and have rejected every personal and formal approach made to us,” said Mashaba.
The city said mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza on Tuesday appointed Khumalo as the new MMC with immediate effect as part of “strategic changes” to the mayoral committee.
The mayor said the changes followed “extensive consultation” with multi-party organisations represented in council, including 13 of its 16 political parties.
He said an agreed Ekurhuleni governance framework was “widely accepted” to guide the work of the executive.
The framework would strengthen a sustainable Ekurhuleni Government of Local Unity, he said.
The other appointments are:
Metro Utilities (Trading) Services: Cllr Jean Sthato
Metro Operations and Maintenance: Cllr Nomadlozi Nkosi
Human Settlements: Cllr Leshaka Manamela
Development Planning and Real Estate: Cllr Dino Peterson
Roads and Transport: Cllr Lindiwe Mnguni
Community Safety: Cllr Mzayifani Ngwenya
Corporate Shared Services: Cllr Siphumule Ntombela
Infrastructure and Economic Development Agency (EDA): Cllr Thembi Msane
Finance and Strategy: Cllr Jongizizwe Dlabathi.
The new MMCs are to be sworn in on Wednesday in the mayor’s parlour.
INSIDE POLITICS