The Economic Freedom Fighters has refused to join a reconstituted mayoral committee in Ekurhuleni, accusing the African National Congress of sidelining it and breaching coalition agreements.
Image: File picture
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has declined an offer to take up new mayoral committee (MMC) posts in the City of Ekurhuleni following a reshuffle announced on Tuesday night by Mayor Nkosiphindile Xhakaza.
The party said it had rejected the positions and would take up seats on the opposition benches.
EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo confirmed that two EFF MMCs had been removed from their posts.
“Xhakaza has unilaterally removed EFF councillor Bridget Thus as the MMC for community services and EFF councillor Kgopello Hollo as the MMC for human settlements,” Thambo said.
He said both MMCs had performed well in their portfolios and had served the people of Ekurhuleni with distinction.
“The removal of these two EFF MMCs follows the removal of EFF councillor Nkululeko Dunga as the MMC for finance in 2024, a decision which has seen a decline in the city’s finances and growing debt,” Thambo said.
The party also criticised what it described as Xhakaza’s refusal to fill the vacant speaker position with an EFF councillor.
“Most recently, the ANC, at the behest of Xhakaza, refused to fill the vacancy of the speaker of the city council with an EFF councillor, as had been agreed in previous negotiations when the position was held by the EFF,” Thambo said.
Xhakaza removed EFF councillor Thembi Msane from the water and sanitation portfolio and offered her oversight of the Infrastructure and Economic Development Agency. He also offered Leshaka Manamela the position of MMC for human settlements.
The EFF declined both offers.
“Of particular concern is the decision to remove responsibility for water and sanitation from EFF councillor and MMC commissar Thembi Msane and place it under a newly constituted portfolio referred to as metro utilities (trading) services, led by a newly appointed ANC councillor,” Thambo said.
“This irresponsible move seeks to undermine the work of the EFF in maintaining and improving water infrastructure in the city and poses a risk to water services, in the same way the city’s finances were jeopardised by the irrational removal of an EFF MMC from that portfolio in 2024.”
“In his attempt to constitute a new mayoral committee with fewer EFF councillors, Xhakaza has offered EFF councillors Thembi Msane and Leshaka Manamela the roles of MMC for the Infrastructure and Economic Development Agency and MMC for human settlements, respectively,” Thambo said.
The EFF said it would not be part of the reconstituted executive.
“The EFF informs the people of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng and South Africa that we have declined the offer to form part of the mayoral committee in the City of Ekurhuleni and will humbly and gracefully accept our role on the opposition benches.”
“We commend our MMCs for the work they have done in the City of Ekurhuleni and have full confidence that they will continue to serve the people of the city and hold the executive accountable,” Thambo added.
Last month, the EFF announced it was withdrawing its support for the African National Congress in the Ekurhuleni council and in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature over disagreements about the implementation of their coalition agreement.
EFF leader Julius Malema told a media briefing that the ANC had taken decisions in the municipality without consulting the red berets and had ignored agreed governance arrangements.
Meanwhile, ActionSA has distanced itself from the changes to the mayoral executive.
The party rejected the reported appointment of Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate and media personality Xolani Khumalo as an MMC.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said, “This statement is entirely fabricated and does not reflect any engagement or agreement involving ActionSA.”
“Following repeated and unsuccessful attempts by Mayor Xhakaza to solicit ActionSA’s participation in his administration, I have consistently made it clear that we will not join his failing government and have rejected every personal and formal approach made to us,” he said.
“Our position has been very clear on every occasion: we will not lend credibility to an administration that has overseen lawlessness and the deterioration of service delivery that continues to cripple the city.”
Mashaba said residents were tired of dysfunction, lawlessness and the collapse of basic municipal services.
“ActionSA’s focus remains on restoring governance, rooting out corruption, restoring the rule of law and fixing the fundamentals of service delivery,” he said.
“These are priorities we intend to implement when we secure a clear mandate from residents in the upcoming local government elections.”
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
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