Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza is facing growing pressure from ANC factions within the region, with some party leaders lobbying for his removal amid mounting tensions over his leadership and allegations linking him to two separate killings.
Political instability has rocked the municipality, with internal ANC divisions intersecting with demands from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leadership changes.
Dissatisfaction with Xhakaza has been building within sections of the ANC in recent months, senior ANC figures involved in discussions about the future of the municipality said this week. Among some of the concerns raised is his handling of relations with the EFF and his attempts to explore working relationships with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM).
Several party insiders said some leaders believed the ANC should maintain its working relationship with the EFF in the metro, but Xhakaza had rejected attempts to restore cooperation with the Red Berets.
The tensions surfaced publicly last week when ANC regional chairperson Jongizizwe Dlabathi stepped aside from his role in the Ekurhuleni region, saying Xhakaza had ignored the views of party supporters regarding possible cooperation with the DA or ActionSA.
Party insiders said Dlabathi had indicated that he would not continue serving in a leadership structure in which Xhakaza remained mayor. His departure has intensified debate within the party about the future of the metro’s leadership, with several members arguing that the situation reflects deeper fractures inside the ANC’s regional structures.
The discontent within the party has unfolded alongside political negotiations in the Ekurhuleni council, where the EFF has made the removal of Xhakaza one of the conditions for supporting a reconfiguration of power in the municipality.
EFF Gauteng provincial leader Nkululeko Dunga argued that the mayor’s decisions had destabilised governance in the municipality and undermined political agreements that previously allowed the ANC to govern.
“Our position is very clear: Xhakaza must go. We cannot continue to stabilise a municipality that is led by someone we do not trust. If the ANC is serious about restoring cooperation in Ekurhuleni, they must remove him,” Dunga said.
The EFF has also demanded the restoration of council positions it previously held, including the speaker’s position. However, the Ekurhuleni council on Thursday elected ATM councillor John Senona as the new speaker. Senona secured 94 votes, defeating Dunga who received 32 votes.
Sources had told the the Mail & Guardian earlier on Thursday that the ANC in Ekurhuleni had offered the Democratic Alliance the position of speaker ahead of the vote. They said the DA had been considering the offer, given the working relationship between the ANC and the party at national level through the government of national unity.
But if the DA declined the position, the ANC was expected to approach the ATM and was confident of securing a governing majority with support from several smaller parties.
“The 13 parties are giving the ANC a majority to govern without the DA, EFF and ActionSA combined,” the source said.
But within the ANC, some members argue that the ongoing tensions in council cannot be resolved without addressing concerns about the mayor’s leadership. They slammed Xhakaza’s overtures to the DA, pointing out that the ANC in Gauteng has repeatedly stated that it would not enter into governing arrangements with the blue party.
“Xhakaza says he has the metro’s interests at heart, but what is clear is that he wants to hand us over to Helen Zille because the agreement with the ATM will fail and we will have to go back to Zille for support, but he regret this,” a senior ANC leader said.
“Whatever happens here in Ekurhuleni will filter down to the whole province. Johannesburg will be handed over to the DA and all the metros will follow.”
The tensions around the mayor have also complicated ongoing efforts to stabilise governance in the metro following months of fragile political arrangements in the council.
Since 2021 local government elections, no single party has held a majority in Ekurhuleni, forcing parties to rely on shifting alliances to pass budgets and key council decisions.
Several insiders said the current dispute over the mayor risks deepening instability in the municipality at a time when service delivery challenges and financial pressures continue to place the metro under increasing scrutiny from residents.
“Now that the EFF did not get this position, heads will roll like we saw recently where budgets failed because the EFF did not support us. That will push him to reconsider,” one insider said.
The mayor has also faced scrutiny over allegations linking him to two separate killings.
One claim relates to the 2023 shooting of Kempton Park DJ Bongani Mfito, where reports indicate that Xhakaza was present at the nightclub on the night Mfito was killed.
Another concerns the 2025 murder of Ekurhuleni municipal auditor Mpho Mafole, who had recently submitted a forensic report into alleged irregularities in a multibillion-rand chemical toilet tender awarded by the municipality.
Questions have been raised after a suspect linked to Mfito’s killing was allegedly also connected to Mafole’s murder.
Xhakaza has denied the allegations, saying they are unfounded claims intended to damage his reputation and that he is cooperating with law enforcement authorities.
Despite the growing criticism within the region, some ANC members argue that Xhakaza’s proximity to the party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, has strengthened his position.
Several insiders described Xhakaza as one of Mbalula’s key allies in the Ekurhuleni region, a relationship that has shaped internal political dynamics around the metro.
The ANC remains the largest party in the Ekurhuleni council and continues to lead the metro administration.
However, without consistent support from other parties, the governing arrangement remains fragile, with shifting alliances repeatedly influencing the balance of power in the council.
The discontent within ANC has unfolded alongside political negotiations in council, where the EFF has made Xhakaza’s removal one of the conditions for supporting a reconfiguration of power in the municipality