Africa-Press – South-Africa. ANC regional chairperson Mzwandile Masina will no longer serve as a councillor in Ekurhuleni.
Masina told the ANC’s Gauteng leadership that he planned to resign and issue a public apology to the party, the province said in a statement on Thursday.
He had led an intense fight with the provincial leadership over the region’s desire to reclaim power in Ekurhuleni.
Gauteng ANC leaders blamed Masina for compromising a possible coalition partnership with the EFF. They had been negotiating with the EFF for a possible takeover of hung metros in Gauteng.
The EFF was said to have been promised a power-sharing agreement in Ekurhuleni in exchange for its support for the ANC in Johannesburg.
However, after successfully removing Tania Campbell as mayor in October, the ANC in Ekurhuleni refused to allow the EFF to take over the entire metro.
Masina said it was impossible for the ANC in Ekurhuleni, which had the most numbers in the council, to relinquish power entirely, including the mayorship.
This pushback by the region led to the EFF helping vote Campbell back into office. After the council loss, ANC provincial secretary TK Nciza said Masina would face disciplinary action.
In a meeting with officials, according to the Gauteng ANC provincial working committee, Masina said he would resign as a councillor and also apologise.
Masina served as Ekurhuleni mayor from 2016 to 2021.
The ANC received a reduced majority in Ekurhuleni following the 2021 municipal elections, damaging the party’s chances of forming a solid power bloc in the metro without the help of other opposition political parties, including the EFF.
Masina has bigger political ambitions this year, as he eyes the treasurer-general position in the ANC’s top six at the national conference in December.
He reached the threshold for nominations, and his name will appear on the ballot at the conference. He will go up against ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe and Bejani Chauke, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s political advisor.
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