Opposition parties collapsed eThekwini Municipality’s highest decision-making body when they left the meeting on Tuesday, claiming they could not work with African National Congress (ANC) members who had been sacked and whose future was uncertain.

The ANC normally holds a majority of six in the 10 person executive council committee (Exco).

But it was reduced to three on Tuesday, which gave the opposition from the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) the numbers to bring proceedings to a halt. For quorum, the committee needs six of the 10 Exco members to be present.

The missing ANC councillors were sacked mayor Zandile Gumede and councillor Mondi Mthembu. ANC councillor Zamazulu Sokhabase had put in a leave of absence for Tuesday’s proceedings.

The walkout by the two current DA members (the DA has one vacant seat they need to fill after one member was moved to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature) and one IFP member is the culmination of nearly three months of instability at the city.

The instability followed the arrest and laying of criminal charges against Gumede and Mthembu in May for their alleged roles in a R208-million tender fraud within the city’s waste department.

A decision was taken last week by the provincial ANC leadership to dissolve its leadership in eThekwini, including Exco members, the chief whip and city speaker.

The DA and IFP agreed on Tuesday that they could not be part of the meeting if the future of the ANC members who were present was uncertain.

DA caucus leader Nicole Graham said the ANC’s “indecision affects all of us, not just the ANC”.

I don’t feel comfortable to participate until there is a clear outline of what is going to happen,” said Graham.

She said decisions taken by this executive could later be challenged by a full council.

“This executive is effectively being dissolved, bar for the opposition members. People in the city have been left in the lurch. We can’t have the continued situation where we have uncertainty and in infighting in the ANC,” said Graham.

The IFP’s Mduduzi Nkosi was equally vocal, saying the ANC provincial leadership was unaware of how council proceedings worked.

“To me it means your ANC provincial leadership does not understand the systems. They shouldn’t announce [their councillors and Exco members] are fired when they haven’t done the work this side. Your leadership does not know how things work. Until the ANC gets its house in order, we cannot be part of a meeting that is compromised,” said Nkosi.

However, ANC chief whip Nelly Nyanisa defended last week’s decision by the ANC, stating “processes need to be followed”.  

“It is one thing to pronounce and another for it to be followed by a process. The ANC leadership announced its decision. It is not that they do not know the process of the council,” said Nyanisa.

Acting mayor Fawzia Peer, who spent much of the short meeting trying to close the debate on the issue and proceed with the agenda, said a special council meeting would be called to deal with the shuffle of councillors.

“We are expected to have a special council meeting where the shuffle will take place. We are just waiting for a decision as to when we can hold this meeting,” said Peer.

She said until then, the current members of the ANC on the executive council would continue to execute their duties.

Issues that were expected to be discussed by Exco included various reports from line departments, including an item about the increase of fares for Durban Transport. The matters were deferred until the next meeting.