The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has finally acted and fired the allegedly “underperforming” Mayor of Amajuba District Municipality, which is anchored in Newcastle in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Prince Ndabuko Zulu was shown the door on Thursday, 18 December 2024 after he met with the party’s national executive committee (NEC).

The prince took over the position in December 2022 after the IFP fired the former mayor, Vuselwa Bam, who later defected and joined Team Sugar South Africa.

“The IFP NEC today met with the Mayor of AmaJuba District Municipality, Cllr. Prince Ndabuko Zulu. Following deliberations, the NEC resolved to request the mayor to step down with immediate effect.

“Accordingly Prince Ndabuko Zulu has tendered his resignation as mayor. This decision has been taken in the collective interest of AmaJuba District,” the IFP said in a statement.

Under Prince Zulu’s leadership, the municipality has faced several challenges which include the failure to deliver water to local municipalities. It also hit an administrative turbulence when the mayor wanted to remove the former Municipal Manager, Mpumelelo Manqele.

The process to appoint the next district mayor is now underway. In the interim, the party added, Councillor Thembelihle Mthembu will hold the fort.

“The Deputy Mayor, Cllr. Thembelihle Mthembu, will assume the role of Acting Mayor until further notice. The Party’s relevant committees will oversee the process of filling the mayoral vacancy,” the party added in its statement.

The Amajuba district is made up of Newcastle, Dannhauser and Emadlangeni. It is tasked with providing water and sanitation services in Dannhauser and Emadlangeni, a task it has dismally failed to carry out in the past few years.