Calls for Xhakaza’s head in Ekurhuleni

Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza is facing growing pressure from ANC factions within the region, with some party leaders lobbying for his removal amid mounting tensions over his leadership and allegations linking him to two separate killings. Political instability has rocked the municipality, with internal ANC divisions intersecting with demands from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leadership changes. Dissatisfaction with Xhakaza has been building within sections of the ANC in recent months, senior ANC figures involved in discussions about the future of the municipality said this week.

Among some of the concerns raised is his handling of relations with the EFF and his attempts to explore working relationships with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM). Several party insiders said some leaders believed the ANC should maintain its working relationship with the EFF in the metro, but Xhakaza had rejected attempts to restore cooperation with the Red Berets. The tensions surfaced publicly last week when ANC regional chairperson Jongizizwe Dlabathi stepped aside from his role in the Ekurhuleni region, saying Xhakaza had ignored the views of party supporters regarding possible cooperation with the DA or ActionSA.

Party insiders said Dlabathi had indicated that he would not continue serving in a leadership structure in which Xhakaza remained mayor. His departure has intensified debate within the party about the future of the metro’s leadership, with several members arguing that the situation reflects deeper fractures inside the ANC’s regional structures. The discontent within the party has unfolded alongside political negotiations in the Ekurhuleni council, where the EFF has made the removal of Xhakaza one of the conditions for supporting a reconfiguration of power in the municipality.

[paywall]

EFF Gauteng provincial leader Nkululeko Dunga argued that the mayor’s decisions had destabilised governance in the municipality and undermined political agreements that previously allowed the ANC to govern. “Our position is very clear: Xhakaza must go. We cannot continue to stabilise a municipality that is led by someone we do not trust.

If the ANC is serious about restoring cooperation in Ekurhuleni, they must remove him,” Dunga said. The EFF has also demanded the restoration of council positions it previously held, including the speaker’s position. However, the Ekurhuleni council on Thursday elected ATM councillor John Senona as the new speaker.

Senona secured 94 votes, defeating Dunga who received 32 votes. Sources had told the the Mail & Guardian earlier on Thursday that the ANC in Ekurhuleni had offered the Democratic Alliance the position of speaker ahead of the vote. They said the DA had been considering the offer, given the working relationship between the ANC and the party at national level through the government of national unity. But if the DA declined the position, the ANC was expected to approach the ATM and was confident of securing a governing majority with support from several smaller parties.

[/paywall]