Last week, Gumede resigned as the Executive Mayor of the city but later withdrew her resignation.
The ANC’s top six national leadership re-affirmed an earlier decision, by the party’s KwaZulu-Natal leadership, to recall all its office bearers in the eThekwini Metro Council – including Mayor Gumede. The ANC’s Deputy Secretary-General, Jessie Duarte, accompanied by the party’s provincial leadership met with party councilors in Durban to report back after Monday night’s meeting between the ANC top six and the party’s KwaZulu-Natal office bearers.
Addressing a media briefing in Durban on Tuesday, Duarte said the decision has been well received by party councilors. “After the officials meeting last night, we had also received three separate inputs – one from Comrade Gumede, we received a letter from the caucus, and we received a report from the province. After careful consideration, we agreed that in the best interest of the ANC and the people of eThekwini we would agree that the Exco that has been requested to vacate their seats, do vacate their seats. However, they remain as councillors.