A TEXT message allegedly from the mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Mxolisi Kaunda, taking his deputy, Philani Mavundla, to task for undermining him, has laid bare the purportedly strained relationship between the two men at the helm of the city’s political leadership.
In the text message, written in Zulu, Kaunda criticises Mavundla for putting a picture of himself on a municipal poster instead of one of the mayor. The poster promoted a clean-up campaign the city recently undertook with the Premier Soccer League football club, Kaizer Chiefs.
When The Mercury contacted Mavundla for comment, the deputy mayor did not deny the authenticity of the message, but said, “We will not comment on this matter.”
Asked about his relationship with Kaunda, he said, “I came to this city to help service the…