The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) said they will never allow the “corrupt” Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to take over the mayorship in Ekurhuleni.
ANCYL president Collen Malatji told journalists on Thursday that his party was cleaning up all the mess that the EFF has caused in the city.
This is after EFF leader Julius Malema revealed that they had a deal with parties for them to take the city, but the ANC has since changed its direction.
Last month, the ANC's Dada Morero was elected mayor of Johannesburg while ActionSA's Nasiphi Moya was elected mayor of Tshwane on Wednesday. The EFF was the middleman behind these elections.
The ANC-led coalition government is in charge of the three major Gauteng metros after DA councillor Cilliers Brink was removed as mayor of Tshwane two weeks ago.
The Patriotic Alliance (PA), the ANC, ActionSA, the EFF, and other parties make up this partnership.
However, Malatji alleged that the EFF was involved in dodgy dealings within the city and therefore they cannot continue.
“We are not going to agree to the EFF having Ekurhuleni, the ANC is cleaning up the city, we are not going to agree that the corruption continues where the poorest of the poor are stolen from,” he said.
In a media briefing on Thursday, Malema said the Ekurhuleni mayor Doctor Xhakaza wanted to eliminate the EFF council from his executive because he was somehow threatened by young capable leaders.
This follows talk that Xhakaza was in talks with the Blue Party to include its councillors in the cabinet.
Malema stated that their main aim was to ensure stability in all the metros, and not funny business.
He further commended Morero for his efforts to help seal the deal in Tshwane.
“If this guy continues this way, he's going to get this municipality stable because since he took over, there is some sense of what we are doing, and we want that kind of leadership,” Malema said.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics