Speaking for the first time since being sworn in as a member of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature (MPL) on Wednesday, Gumede told eNCA that her redeployment was not a reward, as opposition parties had alluded.
She said her leadership in the metro was very “clear” but the media was denting“Leadership was very clear. It was because of you, as the media, went all out to make sure that as the first woman mayor of eThekwini, you are denting my name. And also as the first chairperson from the ANC, you are denting my name,” said Gumede.
“The narrative that the media is trying to make is to say that women can't make it. I've made sure that people can see that women can make things happen.”Gumede was removed by the ANC KZN from the mayoral seat after a R430m corruption case against her and her 17 co-accused surfaced. She appeared in the Durban Commercial Crimes Court in July on charges linked to the tender fraud case dating back to 2016.TimesLIVE reported that the provincial party defended Gumede's appointment, saying she was “innocent until proven guilty”.“The ANC KZN is fully aware of detractors who will seek to use Gumede's ongoing court case to criticise the appointment. However, we subscribe to the notion of innocent until proven guilty, as enshrined in our justice system,” said the party.
“As such, there is nothing untoward about the appointment of Gumede. As a firm believer in women empowerment, the ANC KZN is confident that Gumede, with her experience, is a worthwhile addition to the legislature.”
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