Africa-Press – South-Africa. The ANC and the EFF’s failure to reach an agreement to govern Ekurhuleni has ushered in the return of DA councillor Tania Campbell as mayor.
Campbell was elected back to office on Tuesday at a special sitting. She was ousted last month in a motion of no confidence brought by the ANC.
Campbell was elected by 124 votes, with 99 votes in favour of Jongizizwe Dlabathi, the ANC’s deputy regional chairperson.
The meeting’s agenda was fast-paced compared to last week’s failed council gathering, as Speaker Raymond Dhlamini rejected any attempts by ANC and EFF councillors for caucus breaks.
Campbell and Dlabathi were first nominated along with EFF councillor Nkululeko Dunga, who later withdrew his candidacy after the ANC nominated Dlabathi.
The reversal of Dunga’s nomination indicated that the ANC and the EFF had failed to agree to govern in Ekurhuleni.
News24 understands that the ANC in Gauteng had failed to persuade the region to support the EFF taking the mayoral chains in the metro.
During council breaks, ANC councillors were dismayed and fielded comments about their inability to support the EFF.
The collapse in talks left the EFF on the defensive, with the party likely supporting Campbell’s return to the mayoral office.
The EFF had helped elect Campbell last year following the municipal elections.
Dunga declined to confirm whether the EFF had helped the DA-coalition return to office. Voting was held by secret ballot.
But given the party’s previous voting pattern and the large majority received by Campbell, the numbers lean towards the EFF having voted with the DA.
The EFF has 31 votes in the council and the DA, along with coalition partners, has 93.
In a post-council press conference, Campbell said the two weeks she was out of office was a regression for service delivery in the metro.
The DA coalition labelled the outcome as a victory.
She said her office would now have to put in place emergency plans to help continue the work that had been halted while no political head was in place.
“We had, and still have, a plan to service the residents of Ekurhuleni. It is a pity that two and a half weeks have been wasted. We will be hitting the ground running. I thank the councillors that voted for us,” Campbell said.
She will now have to reconfigure her cabinet, she added.
The ANC’s regional leader Mzwandile Masina said the ANC had every right to put a motion of no confidence in Campbell because she had failed to lead the city.
Masina said the ANC’s inability to reach an agreement with the EFF did not symbolise a failure, and the party was willing to put forward another motion of no confidence against Campbell.
“We felt it would be irresponsible of us not to field a candidate. We lost, but we lost with our pride and dignity intact,” Masina said.
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