There's a political storm brewing in the powerful eThekwini Municipality and talk of a downpour is rife.
At the centre of this storm lies one man. City manager, Musa Mbhele.
And, depending on who you speak to, he's either a target or a victim. In fact, he's been fighting for his career as city manager even before he stepped into office in 2022. Favoured by one political camp, rejected by another.
He's been dancing on fire ever since. Keeping his detractors at bay, dodging allegations of corruption and fighting for survival. Those close to him are fiercely loyal, but afraid to express this publicly.
Could it be fear? Fear of losing their own positions if Mbhele goes down? Afterall, the ANC in eThekwini has always made it clear Mbhele was not their preferred candidate for the job.
"Those who didn't want him have been plotting against him ever since. Its because they can't control him for their agenda. He's cleaning up, getting rid of those corrupt individuals and paying the price for it," said one source.
But others don't see it that way.
Mbhele has been facing a torrential tsunami of allegations and calls for his head. He's been at loggerheads with his head of electricity - currently on suspension and several other senior officials who are also facing a similar fate.
Over the past year, he's been embroiled in allegations that he used kickbacks from a service provider to pay for upgrades to his home. An investigation by the City Integrity & Investigations Unit and an external investigator subsequently cleared him of any wrong doing - but the allegations continue to resurface every few months - a deliberate attempt to drive an agenda say his supporters.
Mbhele's critics, meanwhile, question the credibility of the unit, arguing it's being controlled by Mbhele. In a previous interview with IOL, Mbhele maintained his innocence and said he welcomed any probe into the matter.
The latest onslaught came this week from the Municipal and Allied Trade Union.
They've raised concern over the appointment of the acting head of Durban Solid Waste accusing Mbhele of maladministration.
Mbhele has not had it easy.
Not a popular political choice and no longer protected by those who chose him. He's a wounded lion surrounded by prey circling him.
But, like the king of the jungle, he still has some fight left in him - even if alone.
The issue is simple. Investigate, charge and remove him from office if there is evidence against him.
Citizens in this key metro are, quite frankly, gatvol of their city being used as a political playing field by those in power and politicians.
If there is no evidence, let Mbhele get on with his job - and earn his keep. The constant personal battles he continues to fight against those who want him out is costing the city his attention from what really matters - service delivery.
With a total budget of a whopping R67.3 billion, eThekwini Municipality is a major contributor to the province - and nationally, and cannot afford to be continually captured. It's been an over flowing feeding trough for the connected for far too long.
The city's problems - whether it's water, sanitation, loadshedding, internal rumblings etc has always been blamed on corruption and poor governance.
Before Mbhele and during his time. The change of guard has not removed that perception.
The most recent Auditor General report gave the municipality a clean audit - with findings. Of concern was the high debt rate amongst consumers owed to the municipality and irregular expenditure of R.2.4 billion in the last year.
Amidst all the fiasco at eThekwini, newly appointed MEC for Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thulasizwe Buthelezi brought in former city manager Mike Sutcliffe and former Director General in the Office of the president, Dr Cassius Lubisi.
Their mission? To look into the issues plaguing the municipality and come up with a turnaround plan. Their intervention was welcomed by some,and questioned by others - again, depending on who you speak to. Their first diagnostic report has already been submitted to the MEC.
While Sutcliffe remains tight lipped on their findings so far, despite trying to cajole him to reveal any tidbits, there is a sense that their work is causing ructions within the Municipality.
He's made it clear he doesn't want his old job back. But, his knowledge of the inner workings of city hall, policies and city governance now holds the key to the city's future.
It's an irony for a man once the city manager now investigating the person in that role.
I recall interviewing Sutcliffe during his tenure as city manager years ago. Asked about the opposition's constant complaints about his performance, Sutcliffe then responded: "The DA is like a whining chihuahua. That's all they do."
Whether it's whining chihuahuas or genuine cause for concern in eThekwini is now left to him to decide.
Talk is rife that the outcome may well lead to a call for the hawks to step in - some say sooner than expected. Those supporting Mbhele welcome this, confident it would clear his name and silence those seeking to destroy him.
There is a perfect storm brewing.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.
IOL Opinion