ANC-EFF Partnership Crumbles in Tug-of-War Over Ekurhuleni Mayor Position As Negotiations Reach Standstill

• The ANC and EFF have reached a stalemate on whose candidate will fill the position of mayor in Ekurhuleni
• This comes after a marathon last-minute negotiation between the two parties resulted in the mayoral election being postponed
• Parties have one week to forge political marriages as neither the ANC, DA nor EFF in the metro have an outright majority

EKURHULENI - The election of a new mayor in the city of Ekurhuleni was thwarted by heated last-minute talks between the African National Congress and the Economic Freedom Fighter yesterday, 2 November.

Now it seems the disruption to the sitting of the council was for nothing, as the arduous negotiations between the two parties are at a standstill.

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ANC’s Mzwandile Masina bows out of Ekurhuleni mayoral race, giving way to EFF’s Nkululeko Dunga

SowetanLIVE reported that infight within the ANC was the cause for the delay. Reportedly there were disagreements over the ruling party's support for EFF mayoral candidate Nkululeko Dunga.

This comes after ANC candidate Mzwandile Masina withdrew from the mayoral race on Wednesday, 2 November.

The impasse between the ANC and the EFF has forced the ruling party's Ekurhuleni caucus back to the drawing board and hampered the party's plans to win back control of Gauteng's metros.

According to EWN, the ANC's actions in the City of Ekurhuleni will impact the party's plans to regain power in the City of Johannesburg.

Meanwhile, parties in Ekurhuleni must now scramble to find other political partners as neither the EFF, ANC, or Democratic Alliance has an outright majority in the metro.

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Ekurhuleni still without a mayor as election postponed, South Africans unimpressed by delay

The City of Ekurhuleni will attempt to elect a new mayor next week when another sitting of the council is convened.

South Africans react to the deadlock between the EFF and ANC

Citizens slammed the ANC for being power-hungry and not accepting that they were not voted in for a reason.

Here are some reactions:

@JohannOlivier commented:

"I wish the politicians would put the same effort into service delivery as they put into getting themselves into power and power positions."

@Leonard32148308 suggested:

"The Anc should just go away, they have nobody in their ranks knowing what to do, the fact that they have to share power in every municipality shows they have nothing left to offer the SA public."

@newhorizanman added:

"Gluttonously obsessed with power rather than the uplifting of the poor."

@KJ_Octane73 claimed:

"Anc playing political games with our taxes. They made the mess in the first place. They were not voted in, so they don't have a say."

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Ekurhuleni still without a mayor as election postponed, South Africans unimpressed by delay

In a related story, Briefly News reported that the sitting to elect a new mayor of Ekurhuleni had been postponed to Thursday, 24 November. Councillors met to cast their votes on Wednesday, 2 November but decided to do so at the end of the month.

While several members are vying for the position, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is confident it will regain control in Ekurhuleni. The party believes that former mayor Tania Campbell will be re-elected.

DA Gauteng chairperson Fred Nel told EWN that while the party was confident if the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters had to join forces, the numbers would be against the party.

Source: Briefly News