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The African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal is demanding swift action against the Speaker of the beleaguered Inkatha Freedom Party-run Abaqulusi Municipality in Vryheid who is accused of stealing a fire engine generator two years ago.
 
It has been brought to the attention of the ANC in the province that a case of theft has been opened with the police against the Speaker of the troubled municipality which the IFP is governing through a coalition with the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters.
 
The IFP Speaker is accused of stealing the fire engine generator, which belongs to the municipality, in 2017 and has been using it for his personal use at the expense of the municipality, thereby crippling the the municipality's ability to respond to emergencies seriously endangering the lives and properties of the citizens of Abaqulusi.
 
It is unacceptable that a public representative is accused of being engaged in a criminal activity. It is a blatant betrayal of the trust of the people who voted him into power. While crime is bad no matter who commits it, it is even worse if it is committed by public representatives whom people always expect to uphold high moral standards.
 
The ANC in KZN is therefore demanding that action be taken against the Speaker and if he is found guilty of committing a crime, justice must take its course so that he can face the full might of the law.
 
As things stand, Abaqulusi Municipality is already beset by a political and administrative paralysis which is hindering service delivery and the municipality is limping from the suspension of the municipal manager after being accused of corruption.

And as if being under administration is not bad enough, you have a senior political administrator in the form of a Speaker being accused of stealing a fire engine generator meant to benefit the residents of Abaqulusi.
 
The ANC cannot allow this rot to continue under the watch of the IFP which has already done untold damage in AbaQulusi and we are demanding that action be taken immediately against the Speaker.

 
Issued by The ANC KZN Provincial Office