As the national and provincial political realignment between the ANC and its new coalition partners unfolds, the party appears to be preparing to “unplug” the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) from positions of power at metro council level.
The ANC has run Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and eThekwini through coalition governments it has formed with the assistance of the EFF, which has been rewarded with influential member of mayoral committee (MMC) positions in return for supporting them.
But unstable local relationships — and the ANC’s formation of a government of national unity with the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and a number of smaller parties — has now placed the local-level coalitions with the EFF in jeopardy.
The effects of the realignment are already being felt to differing degrees in all three metros, where the ANC now has other coalition partners at its disposal should it choose to work with them.
While there has been no formal discussion about termination of the city-level coalitions with the EFF, events of recent weeks — and sentiments in the ANC’s Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg regions — are pointing towards them coming to an end.
Ekurhuleni
Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindipile Xhakaza fired the city’s finance MMC, Nkululeko Dunga, who is the EFF Gauteng chairperson, last month.
Dunga was replaced by the ANC’s Jongizizwe Dlabathi, a fierce critic of the party’s relationship with the EFF, this week.
Xhakaza has also placed the rest of the MMCs in the metro under performance management and said on Wednesday that they would be removed from office should they fail to meet the standards.
Xhakaza’s warning comes as ANC regional leaders lobby to have the EFF removed from their MMC positions in the province. Last month, the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) discussed terminating its relationship with the EFF in the metros.
On Wednesday, Xhakaza said although the regions receive their mandate from the provincial and national leadership, as mayor “elected in council” he has the final say on what should happen in his mayoral council.
He added that the work of the metro will continue with or without the completion of negotiations of the government of provincial unity.
Dunga said the EFF was unaware of any moves to unplug it from power, adding that the party hoped its close relationship with Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi would save them from the chop at city level.
Dunga said any move by the regions to remove EFF members of mayoral committees was related to ANC internal factional dynamics and that they wanted the power to dispense “patronage” themselves.
He said Lesufi should use his authority and maintain stability in the metros by keeping the EFF in city government.
“The EFF’s role in co-governance with the ANC and other parties has contributed to government stability, contrasting with the disruptive intentions of these actions.”
Dunga said although Lesufi did not include the EFF in his cabinet, the party would still hold negotiations with the ANC on how to govern in the metros.
They would also vote in favour of the ANC’s provincial budget if Lesufi continued to exclude the DA from the minority provincial government he formed with other smaller parties.
No-confidence motions would have to be brought by the ANC if it wanted to remove EFF officials from councils, Dunga said.
While confident in Lesufi’s support for the EFF, Dunga expressed worry that the provincial chairperson was losing favour among his followers.
“Everything we discuss on the provincial level does not filter down to the regional leaders. We have had incidents where we would agree with Lesufi and the PEC, but when we get to council, we would find leaders at that level telling us what was discussed with the provincial leadership was invalid,” he said.
Johannesburg
The ANC and minority parties in the Johannesburg council are now considering removing mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and the EFFs MMCs from power.
This came after the EFF voted against approving a R2.5 billion loan from the Agence Francaise de Développement on Tuesday, resulting in the motion, proposed by the ANC, being defeated by a margin of 118 to 111. Three councillors abstained.
This was the third time the loan had been rejected in the council, with the EFF previously abstaining from voting in favour of it. The loan is intended to fund capital expenditure projects.
High-ranking sources in the ANC told the Mail & Guardian that MMCs from the EFF would be now removed from their positions as they “serve no purpose” in the coalition.
The EFF had voted against the ANC in retaliation for the removal of Dunga and would be removed but not replaced immediately, one ANC leader said.
“It will be done by the end of the week. We also knew that the EFF will not be voting with us in council,” the ANC leader said.
The decision is likely to meet resistance from the ANC in Gauteng as Lesufi has on previous occasions said their relationship with the EFF in the province was good and they were willing to work with any party.
Lesufi is understood to have preferred a provincial coalition with the EFF over one with the DA, but constituted a minority government without either party after talks with the DA broke down. He has, however, said that the door has not been closed on new talks with the DA.
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula has made it clear that no coalition with the EFF and the uMkhonto weSizwe party would be considered, and that there was an expectation that the government of national unity arrangement would cascade downwards to council level.
The ANC source said that its regional leadership would meet to discuss a way forward between the two parties, saying he was in support of the removal of the Red Berets in the coalition.
“They are supported by the provincial leadership but we are not happy with them. This is happening for the third time. Every time we engage them before council, they tell us that they will vote with us and when we go to council, they ask for caucus breaks and then don’t vote with us.
“I fully support their removal, and we must now start engaging other parties, because they serve no purpose to us.”
A source in the ANC provincial executive committee said the relationship between the party and the EFF was “over” in all municipalities.
“It’s done. We will be removing them everywhere. We are unplugging them everywhere; they are no more the kingmakers,” one source said.
“Remember, the ANC has made its first move by pulling Dunga in Ekurhuleni.
“This was also a trap for the EFF, and [by their] failure to vote for the budget, they were opening themselves up for being removed from power,” the source said.
The M&G has also been informed that the coalition partners have approached ActionSA to replace the EFF in the city government.
ActionSA has in the past made it clear that under no circumstances would it engage with the ANC, which it views as being responsible for the crisis in South Africa.
ANC regional chair and Johannesburg MMC for finance Dada Morero said the decision on whether to remain in a coalition with the EFF would be taken by provincial and national leadership.
He said they were “disappointed” and “unhappy” with the conduct of the EFF, because they had expected its support for the loan as they were part of the government in the city.
Dunga said he was aware of the plans to remove the Johannesburg mayor in “outright defiance” of Lesufi.
eThekwini
The political realignment is also making itself felt in eThekwini, where the ANC’s Cyril Xaba was elected — unopposed — as mayor on Wednesday at a council meeting which was repeatedly delayed by a succession of caucus breaks called by the parties to consult their national leaders.
The ANC had controlled the city since 2021 through a coalition with the EFF and smaller parties, defeating candidates fielded by the IFP and DA.
On Wednesday the DA did not put up a nominee to stand against Xaba, despite an earlier threat to do so after they did not reach a co-governance agreement.
Instead, DA caucus leader Thabani Mthethwa declined a nomination from the ActionSA’s Zwakele Mncwango, allowing Xaba to stand uncontested.
The M&G understands that the ANC, DA, IFP and National Freedom Party were unable to “find each other” over council positions ahead of the vote. The agreement to allow Xaba to be elected unopposed leaves doors open for further discussion.
The ANC removed the EFF’s Themba Mvubu from the powerful human settlements and infrastructure portfolio he had occupied on the city’s executive committee — with the role being covered by the mayor.