By Celani Sikhakhane
- The former eNdumeni mayor claims the IFP paid over R200,000 in bribes to the DA and gave them R110-million worth of projects to keep their coalition alive.
- The DA denies all allegations and challenges the ex-mayor to provide proof.
A fired mayor who literally slept on the job claims the IFP paid the DA more than R200,000 in bribes to keep their coalition government running in eNdumeni Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Former IFP mayor Siyabonga Ndlovu made these allegations in a leaked letter to the IFP leadership that circulated on social media on Thursday. He was forced to resign after being deemed incompetent.
Ndlovu claims the DA’s ward received R110 million for services, while townships and rural areas were neglected.
“The IFP advised us to keep our relationship smooth with the DA. But in 2022, the DA turned against us, and we had to bribe them with R100,000 to keep our coalition. In 2023, we gave them R120,000, but they kept demanding more,” he said.
He also alleges that the DA demanded tenders, including one for VIP protection, which has left the municipality financially strained and in legal trouble.
The municipality has had no deputy mayor since 2021 after the DA refused the position despite being in a coalition with the IFP.
A meeting to replace Ndlovu with IFP Youth Brigade leader Mcebo Mkhize on Thursday was halted due to a bomb scare.
DA Caucus leader Mohamed Saleem Abdool challenged Ndlovu to provide evidence for his claims. “Who did the IFP pay this money to? He must show us proof. Where did this money come from?” Abdool asked.
Abdool further stated there is no coalition, only a “working relationship for service delivery.” He added that the projects Ndlovu mentioned were planned when the ANC was still in charge in 2021.
IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa did not respond to questions.
Pictured above: DA Caucus leader of eNdumeni local Municipality in Dundee Mohammed Abdool rejected allegations of DA taking bribes from the IFP to sustain the coalition government.
Source: X
