Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2016-07-21

ANC Member and 1976 student uprising stalwart Seth Mazibuko says while he remains a member of the ruling party, he will contest two wards in Orlando East in Soweto as an independent candidate in the upcoming 2016 municipal elections.

Independent candidates, including African National Congress (ANC) members who have chosen to stand against their own party, are expected to put pressure on the governing party, which is fighting a tough battle to retain its municipalities around the country.

The 2016 Municipal elections will take place countrywide on the 3rd of next month.

Speaking to Radio Islam on Sabahul Muslim this morning Mazibuko says that the ‘Orlando Task Team’ consisting of former councillors and community stakeholders has decided to nominate him as their running candidate at the polls.

“The task team was actually formed to look at issues that were facing people of Orlando East, issues of prepaid electricity, heritage sites being removed and water issues. So the people in the task team decided they will fight these issues which were imposed by the ANC Councillors.”

There have been reports relating from expulsion to certain members of the ANC alleging that government won’t allocate municipal funds to independent candidates.

However, Mazibuko says that he hasn’t been approached by the party with an expulsion notice as yet.

“This could change after the 3rd of August, when everything simmers down; they could come back and say to me that you know, because of what you’ve done, we are kicking you out.”

Mazibuko says that he is still committed to the party and will always have a place for the ANC.

Twitter: @thedabhelia

(Edited By Faizel Patel)