DURBAN – The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal says it’s in talks with the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) over power-sharing in the Umzumbe Local Municipality on the south coast.
The ANC lost the municipality in June’s by-elections, only retaining two wards.
Meanwhile, the IFP scooped three wards and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party won its first ward.
The results also left the municipality hung, and neither the ANC nor the IFP says it’s willing to work with the MK Party.
This leaves both the ANC and IFP with 22 seats each in the 50-seat council.
ANC provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said they were offering some positions to the IFP to form a coalition.
“There are debates between the IFP and ANC around Umzumbe. The ANC has offered both the deputy mayor and the speaker, and the ANC will retain the mayorship and the chief whip of the municipality.”
The parties have recently indicated there are possibilities of their government of provincial unity also boiling down to municipalities.
EWN
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