The ANC in Ekurhuleni has hit back at its former regional secretary and finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi, who abandoned his roles claiming unilateralism.
The party dismissed his sudden move as nothing but a tantrum.
A senior regional insider told Sunday Times that Dlabathi’s qualms lie with being instructed by the party to return to his post as an elected regional secretary on a full-time basis.
That would mean vacating his duties in government as finance MMC, a move Dlabathi is said to have strongly opposed.
“There is nothing factual about his claims that there is political infighting among the office bearers. We have long maintained that we are the only region whose regional secretary is deployed to government, it is unheard of. He is supposed to be full time in the region,” said the source.
Another regional executive committee insider said this perspective did not just emanate from the region alone but was canvassed in the corridors of the recently held Gauteng ANC provincial lekgotla.
He just didn’t want to go and serve in his office at Meyer Street, that’s it.
— Source
“This is not a new thing, I don’t know why he is throwing tantrums now. He knows that we come from a national general council [NGC] of the ANC, which instructed us to go and strengthen our structures in the year of local government. How is he expecting to do that when he is focused on government, unlike other regional secretaries?”
The source added this election year is crucial to the party as it tries to claw back support across its regions and the province, which received a dismal 34% support in the May 2024 general election.
“He just didn’t want to go and serve in his office at Meyer Street, that’s it. In an important period where the regional secretary is supposed to be criss-crossing the region strengthening branches, growing the membership of the party and reinforcing political education and capacitating our volunteers ahead of the election, he still wants to cling on to government.
“It’s clear that he does not want to see a strengthened ANC, which must bounce back and fight against the decline,” said the source.
On Thursday morning, sources claimed Dlabathi had differences with Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, who has been wielding the axe in council in recent weeks, allegedly without consulting his regional comrades.
The Sunday Times has seen his resignation letter dated February 27, which he sent to Ekurhuleni officials, the regional structure and the ANC’s Gauteng provincial task team officials.
Dlabathi’s resignation came just hours after Xhakaza, also the ANC regional chair, filled mayoral executive positions that previously belonged to the EFF with ANC councillors.
According to those around Dlabathi, he has been complaining that Xhakaza takes critical decisions in the metropolitan municipality without consulting his fellow party regional leaders.
“This letter serves to communicate my unfortunate but deeply considered resignation as the ANC regional secretary of Ekurhuleni and the member of the mayoral committee,” wrote Dlabathi.
In a statement, the region described the saga as an internal process of the organisation, revealing that Dlabathi’s resignation letter had not been formally processed or accepted by the appropriate structures of the organisation.
Deputy regional secretary Moipone Mhlongo confirmed that regional office bearers convened a meeting to discuss the developments. Dlabathi allegedly attended the meeting.
“He attended engagements and continues to participate fully as part of the collective leadership and leader of government business guiding organisational direction into caucus and governance matters,” said Mhlongo.
“He also remains part of the leadership collective providing strategic direction to government in pursuit of our organisational mandate to serve the people of Ekurhuleni.”
The party rejected claims that Xhakaza has been taking unilateral decisions without consultation of comrades that he serves with.
“The ANC does not take decisions in a vacuum or through individual dictators. Decisions that inform government direction, deployments and programme implementation are processed collectively, guided by democratic centralism and unity of purpose.”
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