It has been a turbulent week for the ANC in Gauteng, with political developments in the province’s two largest metros reaping interesting outcomes. Changes in Ekurhuleni and the City of Johannesburg, signal potential shifts that could redefine the region’s power dynamics ahead of the next local government elections.
In Ekurhuleni, the unexpected resignation of Jongizizwe Dlabathi, a key figure within the party, has unsettled the regional leadership. Dlabathi served simultaneously as ANC regional secretary and finance MMC. The dual responsibility positioned him at the heart of the party’s internal coordination, as well as the municipality’s financial management.
The Ekurhuleni regional structure held a meeting on Friday evening, where they attempted to persuade Dlabathi to continue his responsibilities in the party.
“We have given him two weeks to decide whether he will continue as the secretary. It is an election year, so we cannot afford not to have a good secretary,” a source said.
According to insiders, his departure followed a tense, late- night regional office bearers meeting on Wednesday, during which discussions about stabilising the municipality reached a deadlock.
Central to the disagreement was the allocation of vacant MMC posts.
Dlabathi was of the view that ANC councillor Jane Nhlapo-Koto be given a position because of her loyalty and experience. However, executive mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza subsequently moved to appoint new members to the mayoral committee, excluding Nhlapo- Koto. Nkgopotse Nsizwa Mekgwe was assigned to human settlements; Siyabonga Mathews Moloi took over community services, and Dora Mlambo was placed in charge of infrastructure and development.
The appointments came after the ANC failed to secure coalition agreements with the DA, the EFF and ActionSA.
Without prominent coalition partners, the metro has effectively operated as a minority government.
Sources indicate that tensions intensified when Xhakaza reminded Dlabathi that he has to step down from his MMC role and concentrate solely on his responsibilities as regional secretary.
This was in line with a decision taken by the REC at the beginning of the month.
Instead of accepting the revised arrangement, Dlabathi chose to resign from both positions. His departure has raised questions among party ranks, particularly given that the position of secretary is traditionally regarded as a full-time organisational responsibility within the ANC.
Some within the regional structure have criticised what they describe as Xhakaza’s increasingly unilateral leadership style, alleging that he has sidelined collective decision-making processes.
“He can be dismissive and does not always take others into confidence,” one insider said.
The matter has since been escalated to the ANC’s provincial executive committee in Gauteng, reflecting the seriousness of the internal rupture. With budget processes approaching and coalition negotiations stalled, Ekurhuleni now faces the challenge of governing without majority support. In such a fragile environment, even minor political disruptions could trigger motions of no confidence or further administrative instability.
Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, party leaders have taken steps to prevent a similar implosion. To ease internal tensions, the ANC appointed Loyiso Masuku as the city’s first executive deputy mayor. Masuku, who serves as the ANC’s Johannesburg regional chairperson and finance MMC, has faced growing pressure from her supporters to assume the mayoral position and replace incumbent Dada
Morero. Rather than risk deepening divisions within a sensitive coalition setup, party leaders opted for what insiders describe as a compromise solution.
By filling the deputy mayor post, the ANC elevated Masuku’s executive standing while retaining Morero as mayor.
Responding to suggestions that the move was politically motivated, Johannesburg regional secretary Sasabona Manganye said, “This is about improving service delivery.
“The role of deputy mayor is not a new concept and should have been implemented earlier in Johannesburg.”
