Political parties squabble over tit-for-tat favours in KZN co-governance
The DA in KwaZulu-Natal has asked for an urgent meeting with IFP leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi to address simmering tensions between the two parties that could threaten their co-governance agreement in eight municipalities in the province. The agreement came into effect after the 2016 local government elections. The deal stipulates that the DA will support IFP-run municipalities. However, fraud allegations against an IFP member has placed the DA in a Catch-22 over whether to defend the official or ditch him and lose the support of the IFP. At the centre of this quandary are allegations against Siboniso Mbatha, the mayor of Endumeni municipality, who is accused of embezzling municipal funds. Mbatha allegedly made fraudulent claims worth thousands of rand for an unauthorised trip using forged documents. He is also accused of falsely creating documents which he used to collect donations of up to R10,000 for a Cancer Association of SA trip to England, which allegedly did not happen...
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