Barely five months after being elected as Nyandeni Local Municipality mayor, Zamekile Nondlevu has been stepped aside of mayor’s seat and replaced with Thandeka Matika as new mayor of the local municipality.
Nondlevu’s recall was confirmed by Nyandeni Municipality council speaker, Mcebisi Mtobela on 20 April.
Mtobela says Nondlevu was recalled for undermining council with regards to the recruitment of a new municipal manager.
“On February 2022, the council took a resolution to set up a panel to oversee the recruitment of a new municipal manager.
“On March 17, shortlisting for the vacancy took place and interviews were scheduled for March 31 but the council noticed that there has not been progress on interviews from that date until April 20”. says Mtobela
He says the municipal council sat and requested a briefing from Nondlevu on the progress in recruiting a new municipal manager.
“It was during the council sitting that, to our surprise, the mayor told us he had stopped the whole process and the council felt undermined by this decision and decided to recall him as mayor,” Mtobela said.
Nondlevu was elected as mayor on November 22 last year shortly after the local government elections and sworn in at an event to officially inaugurate him held at Dan’s Lodge on January 27 this year.
Mtobela says they have informed both the regional and provincial offices of the ANC of their decision and were awaiting their response and direction on the way forward.
However,the recalled Mayor, Zamekile Nondlevu has denied the claims that he undermined the council. He says he took a right direction by stopping the interviews as he was still in consultations with Cogta MEC Xolile Hahaha, pertaining the matter.
“I believe that the council wants to harness me into doing what is in their interest and I am not going to be driven by the council even when I notice some wrongdoings” said Nondlevu.
He says the ANC should rather show him a door instead.
