Nkululeko Dunga is back in the provincial executive after the ANC agreed to an EFF MEC post, marking a major step in coalition politics before the 2026 elections

The discontent within ANC has unfolded alongside political negotiations in council, where the EFF has made Xhakaza’s removal one of the conditions for supporting a reconfiguration of power in the municipality

The city council said it could not extend the contract of Imogen Mashazi, who is reaching retirement age, by two years

The Economic Freedom Fights won’t back a motion to remove Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, despite acknowledging the same concerns raised by opposition parties about his leadership

This move is in line with the Economic Freedom Fighters’ plan to survive beyond the 2026 local government election

They criticised the Gauteng premier’s water and electricity solutions as misguided

The Red Berets have leveraged their relationship with Premier Panyaza Lesufi to maintain their influence in the province

Three groups emerged: those who negotiated quietly to set up the GNU; loyalists in the DA, ANC, EFF and MK party and the rogues in and out of trouble with the law

ActionSA is set to get the council speaker position and chair of chairs in the new coalition arrangement

Mashaba’s party may vote in favour of the loan if the R200 prepaid electricity service charge is scrapped

Despite the ANC, Economic Freedom Fighters and the minority parties being in government together in the city, the Red Berets voted against a R2.5 billion loan proposed by the coalition

But there is solace in the fact that the Economic Freedom Fighters and the uMkhonto weSizwe party are unlikely to ever agree with the Democratic Alliance

But ANC Gauteng spokesperson Lesego Makhubele said the party did not have a resolution in place about ending its relationship with the Economic Freedom Fighters This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account The Mail & Guardian is committed to providing all our readers with the best possible experience. Please register your free account now. Your registration is your first step to becoming an M&G community member. Register Registration enables: – M&G newsletters access – notifications – the best possible experience Already registered? Login here Want to subscribe and get even more benefits? Explore our subscription offers

The initiative was announced in mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza’s maiden state of the city address, in which he also vowed to crack down on crime

Newly elected mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza says there is ‘pressure’ for the ANC to fail the metro ‘as the EFF and DA had done’ This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account The Mail & Guardian is committed to providing all our readers with the best possible experience. Please register your free account now. Your registration is your first step to becoming an M&G community member. Register Registration enables: – M&G newsletters access – notifications – the best possible experience Already registered? Login here Want to subscribe and get even more benefits? Explore our subscription offers

But the ANC say it will not allow the EFF to threaten it This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account The Mail & Guardian is committed to providing all our readers with the best possible experience. Please register your free account now. Your registration is your first step to becoming an M&G community member. Register Registration enables: – M&G newsletters access – notifications – the best possible experience Already registered? Login here Want to subscribe and get even more benefits? Explore our subscription offers

An embarrassing nasal malfunction was not all that should cause Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema to lose face This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account The Mail & Guardian is committed to providing all our readers with the best possible experience. Please register your free account now. Your registration is your first step to becoming an M&G community member. Register Registration enables: – M&G newsletters access – notifications – the best possible experience Already registered? Login here Want to subscribe and get even more benefits? Explore our subscription offers

The EFF leader was addressing thousands of party members in Gauteng, where its partnerships with the ANC have come under pressure

The ANC accuses the EFF of trying to govern Ekurhuleni metro, where the two parties are in a coalition, without consultation