African National Congress (ANC) Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi and the DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille are at odds over the removal of Cilliers Brink as mayor of Tshwane. Lesufi told Zille to get off her high horse and heal.
On Thursday last week, a vote of no confidence resulted in Brink's removal.
This came about as a result of 87 council members voting against the resolution and 120 supporting it. One council member did not vote.
Since then, Zille has given the ANC a deadline by which they must either bring Cilliers back or the DA will not hold negotiations in other metro areas.
The DA announced that when the council convenes to choose the next mayor, Brink will run for office once more.
“The DA will not abandon the residents of the capital city to the chaos caused by the ANC, enabled by ActionSA, and which is set to benefit the EFF. We will field Cilliers Brink as mayoral candidate to continue making progress in Tshwane,” the DA said.
According to the DA, factions specifically in favour of the Government of National Unity (GNU) within the ANC can still be seen.
Lesufi has responded to Zille's assertions that he was operating a parallel ANC in the province. This is also after it was reported by Timeslive that by dislodging Brink, the Gauteng ANC has become the tail that wags the dog.
This resulted in an exchange of heated words on X (formerly Twitter) between Zille and Lesufi.
"Gogo Helen Zille the decision to support the Motion of No Confidence was taken by the NATIONAL Working Committee of the ANC and no amount of propaganda and misuse of media houses will change that narrative.
"The decision to not incorporate the DA in the Gauteng Government of Provincial Unity was also taken by the National Leadership of the ANC, the sooner you accept this reality the sooner the healing process will begin.
"You will never dictate terms to us members of the ANC. Never! You can bring all your media friends and media houses, the ANC is not for sale. The ANC is one. There’s no Provincial ANC nor local ANC, we are one ANC not a federal movement," Lesufi said on X.
Lesufi told Zille that the ANC will never be a branch of the DA.
Meanwhile, Zille has previously mentioned that the ANC was in denial about their "grand coalition" and not a GNU they claim to lead.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics