The ANC coalition in the City of Ekurhuleni is under strain, with municipality leaders not seeing eye to eye.
The ANC in the City of Ekurhuleni said it is engaging with its regional secretary, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, on his decision to resign from his position in the regional leadership and as the MMC for finance in the municipality.
On Thursday, Dlabathi’s resignation letter was leaked to the media. He reportedly complained that the mayor, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, was making unilateral decisions without consultation, including political decisions that affect the municipality.
In a statement on Thursday, the region’s deputy secretary, Moipone Mhlongo, said Dlabathi remains the MMC for finance and the regional secretary until internal ANC processes are concluded.
“The matter remains an internal process of the organisation. The purported resignation letter has not been formally processed nor accepted by the appropriate constitutional structures of the organisation.
“The upper structures of the ANC have been duly notified of these recent developments,” said Mhlongo.
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ANC defends Xhakaza
Mhlongo denied that Xhakaza has been making unilateral decisions without consulting the regional leaders of the party.
“The ANC does not take decisions in a vacuum or through individual dictates. Organisational processes are anchored in consultation through established structures, including the regional office bearers and provincial office bearers, particularly when matters may impact governance, deployments, or programme implementation.
“Decisions that inform government direction are processed collectively, guided by democratic centralism and unity of purpose,” she said.
‘Democratic centralism’
Mhlongo further said a structured consultation process will now commence with Dlabathi to understand the context, rationale and considerations informing his decision.
“The ANC does not govern or lead through reactiveness or speculation; we are a movement grounded in democratic centralism, where robust internal debate co-exists with unity in action. Throughout our history, including periods of organisational uncertainty and political complexity, the ANC has consistently relied on consultation, engagement and disciplined organisational processes to resolve matters in a manner that strengthens unity and advances the aspirations of the National Democratic Revolution,” she said.
Controversial appointments
Dlabathi’s resignation letter indicated that he would officially step down on Friday, 27 February.
His resignation comes amid a fallout between the ANC in Ekurhuleni and its major coalition partner, the EFF.
Xhakaza recently announced a new mayoral committee that snubbed the EFF out of all leadership positions.
These changes to the mayoral committee have sparked so much confusion that the Thursday council meeting had to be postponed because Dora Mlambo resigned as speaker of council.
Mlambo was recently appointed as the MMC of economic infrastructure and development.
The isolation of the EFF has also posed questions about how the ANC will be able to pass the budget without the help of the EFF.
Following the disagreements with Xhakaza over positions on the mayoral committee, the EFF has since pulled out of the coalition in Ekurhuleni.
The EFF in Gauteng has indicated that it will use any opportunity to vote against the ANC because of how it has been treated.
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