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EFF pulls out of Ekurhuleni coalition, deepening ANC rift in Gauteng
Politics in Ekurhuleni has taken another sharp turn. The Economic Freedom Fighters have officially stepped away from their coalition arrangement with the ANC in the City of Ekurhuleni, deepening cracks that have been forming for months.
The decision follows a mayoral committee reshuffle announced this week by Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza. According to EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga, the party was neither consulted nor satisfied with the outcome.
“Our mandate has been eroded”
Dunga said the newly configured mayoral committee would have left the EFF with only two portfolios and what he described as a significantly reduced mandate. He argued that this was despite what he called strong performance from the party’s members of the mayoral committee in service delivery rankings.
In a strongly worded response, Dunga accused the ANC leadership in Ekurhuleni of prioritising internal political manoeuvring over the needs of residents. He said the party would not accept positions it believed were diminished in scope and influence.
Instead, the EFF will now move to the opposition benches in council, promising to hold the executive accountable from outside the mayoral committee.
A relationship under strain
This fallout did not happen overnight. Tensions between the ANC and the EFF in Ekurhuleni have simmered for some time. EFF leader Julius Malema has repeatedly criticised the ANC’s leadership in the metro, and disagreements have often played out publicly.
A major flashpoint came in 2024 when Dunga was removed as MMC for Finance. The EFF has maintained that its leadership in the finance portfolio helped stabilise the municipality’s finances and that the removal was politically motivated rather than performance-related.
Dunga has now pointed to correspondence from ANC structures in Ekurhuleni that allegedly expressed concern that the EFF’s performance in government was strengthening its political standing in the metro. According to him, this confirms that the party’s removal from key positions was about political rivalry rather than governance failures.
What this means for Gauteng
Beyond Ekurhuleni, the split raises broader questions. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi leads a minority government at the provincial level and relies on EFF support to pass certain reports and council matters. While this dispute is municipal in nature, it inevitably feeds into the delicate balance of power across the province.
Residents in Ekurhuleni, meanwhile, are left watching another coalition unravel. In a province where coalition politics has become the norm rather than the exception, instability often translates into uncertainty over service delivery and municipal priorities.
On social media, reaction has been divided. Some users have applauded the EFF for taking what they see as a principled stand. Others have expressed frustration at what feels like yet another round of political infighting while communities grapple with everyday challenges.
A familiar coalition story
South Africa’s metros have become testing grounds for coalition governance. Ekurhuleni is no exception. Alliances are formed out of necessity, held together by compromise, and frequently strained by political ambition.
With the EFF now formally stepping back into opposition in Ekurhuleni, the city’s political arithmetic changes once again. Whether this move reshapes power dynamics in Gauteng more broadly remains to be seen. For now, one thing is certain: coalition politics in Ekurhuleni has entered another turbulent chapter.
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Source: The Citizen
Featured Image: MSN
