WATCH: I won’t be an ANC puppet, says new eThekwini deputy mayor Zandile Myeni

New eThekwini deputy mayor, Zandile Myeni, right, with Kaunda shortly after she was elected. Picture and video: Sihle Mavuso/IOL

New eThekwini deputy mayor, Zandile Myeni, right, with Kaunda shortly after she was elected. Picture and video: Sihle Mavuso/IOL

Published Feb 4, 2023

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Durban - After weeks of bickering and botched special sittings to fill the vacancy, the battle for the position of deputy mayor in the eThekwini municipality is now over.

This was after Zandile Myeni, a long-serving councillor of the NFP was elected on Friday night on the back of the support of the ANC, EFF and other minority parties in the council.

Myeni, defeated Mdu Nkosi, a councillor of the IFP whose candidacy was backed by the likes of Zwakele Mncwango of ActionSA and Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) of Philani Mavundla.

Myeni, the NFP’s provincial secretary, obtained 128 votes while her closest competitor, Nkosi, obtained 81 votes.

Early this week the NFP announced that it would vote with the ANC-EFF alliance in all hung municipalities.

Speaking to IOL shortly after her election and amid a flurry of negative comments on social media that she would be a puppet of the ANC and not hold it accountable like Mavundla who was a thorn in the flesh, Myeni dismissed that as misplaced.

“To those who think that I am going to be the puppet of the ANC, I don’t want to dwell much on their feelings.

— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) February 3, 2023

“But what I can say to them is that one of the things as a bloc we believe in is that at eThekwini municipality there should stability.

“After stability there will be an implementation of the IDP (Integrated Development Plan) that is there at eThekwini, they must watch the space,” she said.

— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) February 3, 2023

Her election to the position left the benches of the ANC elated, with Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, who on the same day survived a vote of no confidence, warmly welcoming and embracing her as she took her position.

Kaunda later congratulated Myeni while speaking after the elections, saying he hoped that they would work together to take the city of Durban to greater heights.

Also congratulating Myeni for her election to be the second in command in the only metro in KwaZulu-Natal was Nkosi.

Nkosi said Myeni deserves the position since she is an ethical leader he had known for quite some time.

— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) February 3, 2023

Myeni's party, the NFP, said her election would now bring stability to the city.

"We congratulate Cde Myeni on her victory and we are grateful to the bloc she chairs, the ANC and EFF councillors who voted for her.

"This is not a victory for her or the NFP but it's a victory for the residents of the city, especially now that there would be stability in the municipality.

"Now the task she is faced with is that of ensuring that services are delivered to the residents.

"As the organisation, we will support her and we urge councillors to also support and guide our councillor for the city to prosper," said the NFP's secretary-general, Canaan Mdlsteshe who was observing the voting from the public gallery.

Meanwhile, ANC councillor, Patience Sishange was voted as the new Whip of the Council with the same votes as Myeni - 128 votes.

She took a position which was left vacant by Thembo Ntuli to act as the chairperson of the Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee which was once chaired by Mavundla before his fallout with the ANC.

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