Durban – Muzimuni Ngiba, the ANC councillor who has been drawing a salary while in prison on murder accusations, is to be removed from the eThekwini council.
EThekwini Municipality Speaker Thabani Nyawose tabled the report detailing the process that had been followed leading to the recommendation put before council on Wednesday to remove Ngiba from council.
Ngiba, a senior member of the ANC in eThekwini, is from ward 101, that includes the Cato Manor informal settlement and parts of Mayville. He is awaiting trial after being charged with the murder of ward councillor Siyabonga Mkhize, who was killed in October 2021.
Nyawose said they had written to Ngiba to tell him he was in breach of the councillor code of conduct but had not received a response.
He said the code of conduct details that a councillor can be removed from the post if they miss three consecutive council meetings or committee meetings they are supposed to attend.
Ngiba has been in prison for almost a year, the Speaker confirmed. He said he had been absent for consecutive meetings without a reason, which triggered a firing clause in the councillor code of conduct.
Nyawose also said a report on allegations of wrongdoing that had been made against the eThekwini City manager Musa Mbhele, was expected to be tabled on Wednesday.
He told council mayor Mxolisi Kaunda would table the report.
AdEc councillor Visvin Reddy raised the matter during the start of the ordinary council meeting on Wednesday. He asked the Speaker to give details about the allegations and whether the city manager was being investigated.
The Speaker had previously denied there were criminal charges.
Reddy called on him to reveal what he had told councillors about the matter, implying there had been an earlier private meeting.
Nyawose refused to divulge the discussion on the matter and said he would table the report in the course of the meeting, “I assure you the discussions today are part of today's council agenda,” he said.
Reddy had insisted the report on the allegations against the city manager should be the first one discussed. If it pointed towards there being an investigation against him, it would taint the proceedings of the day's meeting as the city manager was presiding over that meeting.