Former eThekwini deputy mayor Philani Mavundla resurfaces as uMvoti mayor

• Abantu Batho Congress president Philani Mavundla is the new uMvoti Local Municipality mayor.
• He was elected in a special council meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
• This comes after the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg ruled against the IFP in the party's 11th-hour application to interdict the special council meeting.

Former eThekwini deputy mayor and Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) president Philani Mavundla, who lost a by-election a week ago in the uMvoti Local Municipality, has been elected mayor in a closed special council meeting at the municipality, News24 can reveal.

This comes mere hours after the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg ruled against the IFP in the party's 11th-hour application to interdict the special council meeting.

The meeting, where the IFP leadership was toppled, took place behind closed doors.

READ | Plot twist: ANC, ABC regroup after poll routing, look to depose IFP in uMvoti in special council

The ANC and the ABC tabled motions of no confidence against the IFP leadership - Gabriel Malembe as mayor, Noluthando Dlamini as the speaker and Bhojasi Dlamini as the chief whip.

Dlamini confirmed that he was voted out and told News24: 

"We're used to this. We had to lose because not all of us were here as a result of how hastily the meeting was called," Bhojasi added. 

"Cogta wasn't truthful. We told them there was a court issue [regarding calling a special meeting], but the MEC, who hasn't been fair to us, pressed on with the issue."