‘Irreparable’ tensions cloud ANC regional secretary’s exit as Ekurhuleni mayoral race heats up

Jongizizwe Dlabathi has stepped down as ANC regional secretary in Ekurhuleni for the second time, as the contest to become the municipality’s next mayor grows more intense. He will remain the city’s finance MMC.

“

focus

Dlabathi previously resigned in February, citing political tensions, but the ANC’s national and provincial structures persuaded him to stay. This time, the party accepted his decision. Sources inside the Ekurhuleni ANC told Daily Maverick that tensions between Dlabathi and Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, who is also competing for the mayoral position, had become “irreparable, despite continued intervention by party structures.”

Dlabathi said he was relinquishing the full-time party post to concentrate on his work in government. In a letter to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, he said he had weighed remaining a full-time regional secretary against other employment before choosing to remain in his municipal role. He asked to leave the position at the end of August 2026.

“

The tensions between him and Xhakaza are irreparable, despite continued intervention by party structures.

He also said the decision matched what he had explained during the ANC’s mayoral candidate interview process. That has fed speculation within party circles that the resignation represents a strategic move as the mayoral race takes shape.

“

Having applied my mind on the options to either remain full time as a regional secretary or other employment, I thus wish to inform the secretary-general that I have opted to recuse myself from the full-time responsibility of the regional secretary, thus opting to remain within my municipal responsibility.

Mbalula confirmed that the ANC had accepted the resignation. He said the party’s National Executive Committee had directed all regional secretaries to serve full time under Rule 21.5.3 of the ANC constitution. A directive issued on 29 May gave regional secretaries holding other employment 30 days to resign from that employment or give up their party positions, with no exceptions. The ANC is expected to announce its mayoral candidates in September, ahead of the municipal elections.

“

The directive of 29 May 2026 accordingly required every regional secretary holding employment elsewhere, within thirty (30) days, either to resign from that employment or to resign as regional secretary.