THE ANC has slapped 21 of its councillors in Mnquma Municipality with R5 000 fines.
The party made the announcement at James Calata House on Monday.
The councillors were fined for defying the party’s instructions to elect Thabo Matiwane as mayor.
A council meeting was held on 9 March to elect Matiwane, but Ndyebo Skelenge was elected as mayor instead.
Suspended Mnquma speaker Zibuthe Mnqwazi and suspended chief whip Zakhele Mkiva voted against Matiwane and asked other councillors to do the same.
A disciplinary committee, led by chairwoman Thokozile Sokanyile, ordered that Mnqwazi and Mkiva’s membership be suspended for five years.
“Skelenge’s membership was suspended for five years, wholly suspended for one year, on condition he was not charged with misconduct over the next year and that he resigned as mayor.
The committee ordered the councillors to pay the R5 000 fines by the end of June or be suspended from the ANC for three years.
Sokanyile said the ANC noted the councillors failure to attend hearings on 22 and 29 April.
“They also failed to attend the hearing on 13 May. The ANC had to spend R7 640 to serve these comrades with notices.
“These councillors have been demonstrating conduct that is foreign to the ANC,” said Sokanyile.
She said the councillors were aware that the provincial executive committee had not instructed the Mnquma branch to vote for Ndyebo Skelenge.
“Despite this, they decided to vote for Skelenge,” she said.
The fines must be paid to provincial ANC secretary Lulama Ngcukaitobi.
“This money is going to be used to buy goods for the needy.”
