Wednesday, 18 February 2026

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has taken note of the pronounced changes by the Executive Mayor of Ekurhuleni Nkosiphindile Xhakaza to the City’s Mayoral Committee, and his decision to unilaterally to remove two EFF Councillors from the Mayoral Committee.

Xhakaza has unilaterally removed EFF Councillor Bridget Thusi as the MMC for Community Services and EFF Councillor Kgopello Hollo as the MMC for Human Settlement. Both of these MMC’s have performed well in their Portfolios and have been of exemplary service to the people of Ekurhuleni.

The removal of these two EFF MMC’s, follows the removal of EFF Councillor Nkululeko Dunga as the MMC of Finance in 2024, a decision which has seen a decline in the City’s finances and growing debts. Most recently, the ANC at the behest of Xhakaza refused to fill the vacancy of the Speaker of the City Council with an EFF Councillor, as had been agreed upon in previous negotiations as the position had been held by the EFF.

Of particular concern, is the decision to remove the responsibilities of Water and Sanitation from EFF Councillor and MMC Commissar Thembi Msane and place these responsibilities under a newly constituted portfolio referred to as Metro Utilities (Trading) Services, led by a newly appointed ANC Councillor. This irresponsible move seeks to undermine the work of the EFF in maintaining and improving Water infrastructure in the city and poses a risk to water services in the same way the finances of the city were jeopardised by the irrational removal of an EFF MMC in 2024 from that portfolio.

In his attempt to constitute a new Mayoral Committee, with less EFF Councillors, Xhakaza has offered EFF Councillors Commissar Thembi Msane and Fighter Leshaka Manamela the roles of MMC for Infrastructure and Economic Development Agency and MMC for Human Settlements respectively.

The EFF informs the people of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng and South Africa that we have declined the offer to form part of the Mayoral Committee in the City of Ekurhuleni and will humbly and gracefully accept our role in the opposition benches.

We commend our MMC’s for the work they have done in the City of Ekurhuleni and have full confidence that they will serve the people of the city well and continue to hold the Executive in Ekurhuleni accountable.

ISSUED BY ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Sinawo Thambo (National Spokesperson) 072 629 7422

Thembi Msane (National Spokesperson) 061 467 8169

Andiswa Madikazi (Parliament Media Liason) 069 516 4924

Thato Lebyane (Media Inquiries) 078 563 1581