ANC Expels eThekwini Ward 8 Councillor Marco Mbambo for Alleged DA Spying

• The ANC eThekwini Region announced the expulsion of Ward 8 councillor Marco Mbambo with immediate effect on 24 July 2026
• Regional coordinator Thanduxolo Sabelo accused Mbambo of acting as a DA spy within ANC structures
• The ANC invoked its right to recall Mbambo as a public representative, stripping him of his councillor seat in Durban

KWAZULU-NATAL — The African National Congress in the eThekwini Region has expelled Ward 8 councillor Marco Mbambo from the party and recalled him as a public representative, citing allegations that he operated as a spy for the Democratic Alliance within ANC structures.

ANC eThekwini regional coordinator Thanduxolo Sabelo announced the decision on 24 July 2026 during a formal press briefing in Durban, delivered in front of a branded ANC eThekwini Region backdrop. Sabelo stated that the party had established that Mbambo had been "working as a spy of the DA inside the ANC" and was planning to defect to the Democratic Alliance while still serving as an ANC councillor.

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Mbambo accused of working for the DA

According to Sabelo, Mbambo's conduct was designed to create the false impression of a broader exodus from the ANC.

"We have expelled him from the party and from being the ward councillor of ward 8," Sabelo said. "He can join his DA; we have no problems with that, but he will not remain an ANC councillor while being a member of the Democratic Alliance."

The ANC cited the electoral mandate of Ward 8 residents as the basis for the recall, noting that voters in the ward had cast their ballots for the ANC and not for Mbambo in a personal capacity.

Recall takes effect immediately

Sabelo confirmed that Mbambo's ANC membership has been terminated with immediate effect, along with his status as a ward councillor. The party described his conduct as treasonous to the organisation.

"That is why we have said we will not stay with such traitors," Sabelo said during the briefing.

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The ANC's right to recall councillors who defect or are expelled is a long-standing mechanism used by the party to retain seats won under its banner in local government elections. Zandile Gumede is another member of the ANC who left. The former mayor joined the MK Party.

Watch ANC eThekwini coordinator Thanduxolo Sabelo announce Mbambo's expulsion:

ANC, DA councillors shot dead

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the tragic assassinations of ANC Ward 27 Councillor Sicelo Mleve and DA candidate Sinvuyo Dykowe, both killed within an hour of each other during the final voter registration weekend in South Africa. The shocking timing of these murders raises alarming questions about the escalating violence surrounding political contests in the country and the safety of its democratic processes.

Source: Briefly News