NFP councillors still ‘expelled’
An attempt by more than 20 ‘expelled’ NFP councillors to cling onto their council positions has failed.
|||Durban - An attempt by more than 20 “expelled” NFP councillors to cling to their council positions has failed after a court ruled their application for an interdict was not urgent.
The councillors approached the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday after they served the National Freedom Party with court papers earlier in the week to bar the filling of their positions in various councils.
On Monday, both the party and the affected councillors confirmed the failed court action. The Daily News reported two weeks ago that the lawyers representing the “expelled” councillors had advised the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of possible legal action if it went ahead with filling the vacant positions declared by municipalities.
It was reported at the time that the provincial NFP was also served with a similar letter, threatening legal action over the matter.
However, the electoral body was quoted as saying only a court order would stop it from filling the posts, while the NFP would oppose any legal action.
The legal threat had followed a decision by the NFP’s provincial leadership to remove and “redeploy” the councillors it had described as under-performing.
The councillors were to become branch co-ordinators as part of preparations for municipal elections.
Letters sent to municipalities say the councillors were expelled, but the NFP leaders say they were removed from councils and their party membership had not been taken away.
Wiseman Mcoyi, one of the affected councillors, confirmed that they had applied for a court interdict.
Mcoyi said the matter was heard on Friday, but their attorney told him the following day that the court ruled the matter was not urgent and that it should be placed in the normal roll.
“Now that the judge did not view the matter as urgent, we have not met to decide the next action. But we strongly feel the matter is urgent because it is disruptive and causing instability within the organisation,” he said.
Mcoyi also said the affected councillors were waiting to be properly briefed by their attorney before taking the next step.
NFP provincial chairman Vikizitha Mlotshwa said the party had opposed the application for interdict when they were served with papers last week.
“As the provincial executive committee of KwaZulu-Natal, I instructed our attorneys to defend our decision. The court dismissed the application,” Mlotshwa said.
He said the court ruled that the matter could be placed on the court roll for April next year at the earliest.
The IEC was not immediately available to comment.
Daily News