The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has formally demanded the removal of provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, branding him a “bull in a china shop” and accusing him of sabotaging ANC-led municipalities.
The call, confirmed by provincial spokesperson Sifiso Sonjica, centres on a R14.6 million water tanker purchase proposed by the ANC-run uMkhanyakude District Municipality.
Buthelezi, a senior IFP member, has blocked the purchase, arguing the municipality did not budget for the specialised fleet and would need to borrow money, burdening ratepayers with unsustainable debt. The ANC insists the deal is lawful, was processed through the National Treasury Transversal System, and is essential for long-term water delivery.
Sonjica told SABC News on 27 August 2026 that the MEC is using his office as a “partisan tool to fight the ANC.”
“We are dealing with an MEC who is hellbent on using his position as a partisan tool to fight the ANC. This is enough now. We have called on the Premier to remove Reverend Buthelezi from Cogta,” Sonjica said.
The dispute has fractured KwaZulu-Natal’s Government of Provincial Unity, an IFP-led coalition in which the ANC is a partner. The water tanker fight is the immediate trigger, but the ANC claims a broader pattern of interference, alleging Buthelezi selectively targets ANC councils while ignoring similar purchases by IFP-led municipalities.
Buthelezi fired back, stating the province had already deployed five tankers free of charge to Jozini, Big Five Hlabisa, uMhlabuyalingana and Mtubatuba.
“What is alarming to us as Cogta, as the department that monitors the financial happenings in all municipalities, is that it’s not even the second month of the financial year, and already Mkhanyakude district municipality is going to borrow money to fund this acquisition,” he said in an SABC interview.
On Monday, 31 August 2026, IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa shut down the ANC’s demand at a media briefing. He insisted coalition disputes must be handled privately by deployed leaders: IFP Premier Thami Ntuli and ANC’s Mike Mabuyakhulu.
“We won’t engage this issue in the public domain. There are platforms where such issues are discussed. In a coalition government, no political party should dictate how another organisation manages its affairs,” Hlabisa said.
Scrolla.Africa reported that a previous November 2025 standoff saw a reported deal for Premier Ntuli to move Buthelezi out of Cogta in exchange for ANC support against an MKP motion of no confidence, but the reshuffle never happened. CapeFlats.co.za could not independently verify that earlier agreement.
Neither the Premier’s office nor uMkhanyakude District Municipality have publicly released budget documents confirming whether the R14.6 million purchase was provided for. The ANC’s claim of a lawful transversal contract and Buthelezi’s claim of unbudgeted borrowing remain directly disputed, with no independent financial verification available.
CapeFlats.co.za is checking with the ANC KZN provincial office, MEC Buthelezi’s office, and the KZN Premier’s office for further comment and will update this report as the situation develops.