The KwaZulu-Natal government has called a special sitting to elect new leadership in the Inkatha Freedom Party-controlled uMvoti Local Municipality.

This as the African National Congress (ANC) and Abantu Batho Congress (ABC), licking their wounds from a by-election loss, plot to dethrone the IFP.

News24 can reveal the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has called a special council meeting, where the head of department, Thando Tubane, has been seconded to oversee the meeting. 

The agenda items include the election of a mayor, speaker, and chief whip. 

It is unclear whether the meeting had already been called by the ANC and ABC before or after the IFP routed the two parties in last week's by-election in Ward 2, Matimatolo. 

The meeting was called by the ANC and ABC.

"Consistent with the authority that has been conferred upon me by the MEC for cooperative and traditional affairs, as contemplated in Section 29[1A] of the Municipal Structures Act as amended, to call and chair a special meeting of the uThukela District Municipal Council, I hereby give notice of a special council meeting of the uMvoti full council scheduled for 10:00 on Wednesday, 21 June at the Umvoti chamber," read a letter by Tubane.

The department appears apprehensive about security issues at the meeting.

News24 recently reported about the arrest of two men allegedly linked with the IFP.

They were nabbed in or around the uThukela District Municipality chambers with two illegal firearms at a previous, collapsed special sitting in May. 

"Kindly be advised that only councillors, municipal officials seized with supporting the business of council at the said meeting and officials from the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs are requested to attend the meeting.

"In addition, no weapons are allowed to the meeting venue and appropriate security measures will be taken to ensure safety.

"These are precautionary measures to safeguard the interests of the municipality and to mitigate against damage to property and any other unintended eventuality, including the loss of life.

"All councillors are requested to cooperate with the process and the applicable legal framework in keeping with the rule of law," said Tubane.

Approached to comment on whether the IFP has the numbers to overcome the motion of no confidence, its chief, whip Bhojasi Dlamini, said: "I won't be able to answer that."

Meanwhile, in a bizarre press briefing broadcast by 1KZNTV on Monday, Dlamini and Deputy Mayor Mfundo Masondo of the ABC almost came to blows when Masondo accused IFP speaker Noluthando Dlamini of lying to the media.

In an interview with News24 about the melee, the IFP accused the ABC of being "disrespectful", "power hungry" and "bitter" that its president, Philani Mavundla, was defeated by the IFP in a recent by-election in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. 

In the video, Masondo bangs his hand on the table as Noluthando tries to speak, prompting Dlamini to call on him to stop "abusing" her. 

They engaged in a back-and-forth, which saw Dlamini grab Masondo by the arm and wag his finger at the ABC councillor.

"I told you the other day to stop controlling us. You are being silly," Dlamini tells Masondo in isiZulu.

Masondo responds by telling him he respects him as they continue to argue.

"You can see from the video that bayadelela lababantu [these people are disrespectful]," the IFP's newly elected councillor, Zwakushiwo Zondi, told News24 after the incident.

"The ABC is power hungry, disrespectful and bitter that their president [Philani Mavundla] lost in the by-election. All the other candidates congratulated me for our victory, but not Mavundla. Essentially, what transpired yesterday was that the speaker convened the briefing and excluded certain media houses.

"We heard from people in Durban that there was a press briefing here. My argument was that this wasn't an IFP briefing. This was supposed to be an uMvoti media briefing," he added.

Masondo said the IFP was aware it did not have the numbers in council, even though a previous coalition agreement between the ABC and IFP saw the latter win the speaker and mayor positions. 

He added the IFP's lack of numbers in council would be manifest in the special council meeting called by the MEC for the election of a new leadership on 21 June. 

"When it comes to the IFP leaders, it's not that they're not doing anything right; it's that they're not doing anything at all," Masondo said. 

"The moment you have nine bodyguards as a leader, you're abusing the system," he added, in reference to IFP Mayor Gabriel Malembe.

He claimed this was not the first fallout with the IFP.

"The mayor once said to me, 'you should stop fixing potholes, clearing stormwater drains, attending to disasters. That is my job'. I told him he is imposing himself on my portfolio. He runs infrastructure and I run community services. 

"He wasn't doing anything about his portfolio. They've been called by the IFP in Ulundi for bickering among themselves."

The ABC formally called it quits in its pact with the IFP, informing its councillors not to vote with the IFP going forward. 

"At this moment, we're undergoing a process to remove the IFP. The ABC and ANC wants to get rid of the IFP here," Masondo said.

"All these shenanigans are the last kicks of a dying horse. 

"The IFP has poor coalition skills. They're the most arrogant parry to deal with. They tend to forget they're dealing with other parties."