DURBAN - OPPOSITION parties in the province have called on the ANC to immediately remove Newcastle mayor Ntuthuko Mahlaba after he was charged for theft, assault and malicious damage to property.
Mahlaba, 40, and his co-accused Sgananda Shezi, 26, and Njabulo Mabaso, 28, briefly appeared on Monday in the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court.
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said that on September 3 last year, three suspects assaulted employees from a subcontractor in Newcastle and were summoned to appear in court on Monday.
“They were charged for assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, malicious damage to property and theft. The matter was adjourned until August 26,” said Naicker.
EFF regional chairperson Sibusiso Sizani said Mahlaba must be immediately removed from his position because he was “a disgrace to the people of Newcastle”. He said Mahlaba had been surrounded by controversy since he took over as mayor in 2016.
“We can’t be led by a person who attacks the very same people he leads. We are happy that the ANC has a step aside rule which doesn’t allow people facing criminal charges to hold public positions, so we call on the party to remove him or the mayor himself to step down voluntarily,” said Sizani.
His sentiments were echoed by IFP provincial chairperson Thami Ntuli who said the ANC must apply its step-aside rule to the mayor.
Ntuli said although he did not have the full details of what happened on the day of the incident, a community leader or a mayor cannot be found fighting with his own people.
DA leader in the local municipality Bebsie Cronje said the entire ANC leadership needed to be removed from power in Newcastle.
“The party has ruined the town and new leadership must be elected to bring back the town to its former glory.”
The local ANC youth leader, who asked not to be named, alleged that last year Mahlaba went to subcontractor workers who were doing pipework and demanded they abandon the work so it could be taken over by his close associates.
The leader said that after workers apparently refused, the mayor allegedly went back and returned with the two co-accused and started attacking the workers. He claimed they also took the workers’ tools and damaged others.
Mahlaba, who is also the ANC regional chairperson, was arrested for the 2016 murder of ANC Youth League leader Wandile Ngubeni in 2019. However, charges were withdrawn after the key State witness, Martin Sithole, was shot dead.
ANC provincial spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said the party would comment after getting a full report. In terms of the ANC step-aside guidelines, Mahlaba would have to vacate his mayoral position until the case was finalised.
Mahlaba’s spokesperson, Mlungisi Khumalo, said the mayor viewed the allegations as frivolous and without substance, therefore he would continue serving the people of Newcastle and urged people to allow the law to take its course.
Daily News