Durban — The chances of embattled National Freedom Party leader Ivan Barnes becoming Zululand District Municipality mayor have been dealt a blow.
This is after the party’s councillor Sibusiso Nkosi dragged him to the Pietermaritzburg High Court to prevent him from removing him as a councillor.
Nkosi is challenging his dismissal from the party, which prompted the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa and former Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi to declare his seat vacant.
The vacant council seat would have allowed Barnes to join the Zululand council.
In papers filed on Monday, Nkosi wants the court to nullify the declaration of his seat as vacant, arguing it was unlawful since he only learnt about his expulsion from the party on social media.
Nkosi said he was never charged nor subjected to disciplinary action, therefore he is still a councillor.
“I have never ceased to be a councillor even for a day. I have been attending all council meetings so I don’t know where this issue of expulsion is, since my party has never told me anything about it,” Nkosi stated.
He said the reason why he went to court was just for clarity since the municipality advised him that he must sort it out.
Nkosi said he was confused when he heard about his dismissal because even Barnes himself was at the caucus meeting during the council that was purportedly to install him as mayor, saying he himself said there was no mandate to elect him.
“In that council meeting there was only IFP mayoral candidate Michael Khumalo who was elected unopposed. There was no other candidate so I don’t know how Barnes was going to be elected as mayor,” said Nkosi.
Barnes’s political wings have already been clipped by the same court after 12 senior NFP leaders dragged him to court last month.
The court ordered Barnes not to suspend or fire any member of the party pending the finalisation of the case next month.
Attempts to get comment from Barnes were unsuccessful but it will be added once received.
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Daily News