Local ANC in a tiff

POLITICAL infighting and possible power play could be some of the reasons for director of community affairs, Lungile Nxube‘s , stinging attack on mayor Robbie Dennis for not attending a community meeting in the Newton Hall last Wednesday.
Speculation about a possible rift in the region‘s ANC ranks started when Nxube was reinstated in his job after a one year suspension. As an official of the Kouga Municipality (KM) he reports directly to the municipal manager, Dr Eddie Rankwana. However, he also serves as deputy chairman of the ANC in the Cacadu region. Dennis was not re-elected to the treasury post he had previously held in the regional structure at the last elections when Nxube was voted in.
Nxube slipped in at last week‘s meeting when it was already in progress. Without identifying his position at the KM he merely introduced himself by name and indicated he was there “only to observe.”
He later refused to answer any questions from members of the community, prompting three outraged members to leave the meeting.
Towards the end of the meeting he broke his silence and accused the mayor of never attending community meetings and said that this was unacceptable.
“It concerns me that the mayor is not here. He is the head of this institution and he should be chairing this meeting. He should be the one giving answers,” said Nxube.
However, as head of Community Affairs Nxube was the senior official who was supposed to have attended the meeting, says municipal spokesman, Laura Leigh Randall.
“Mr Nxube is the head of the directorate and therefore he was the correct person to answer the community‘s questions.”

CINDY LIEBENBERG AND LAUREN HUMAN