AIC councillor Sivuyile Ngodwana elected new Ekurhuleni mayor

African Independent Congress councillor Sivuyile Ngodwana has been elected new mayor of Ekurhuleni metro.

Ngodwana was going up against the Democratic Alliance’s Tania Campbell, who was voted out earlier in the day.

He received 129 votes, while Campbell got 75 votes.

Ngodwana’s election comes just a few hours after Campbell’s removal through a motion of no confidence.

Campbell was removed on Thursday after 126 councillors voted in favour of the motion, while 91 voted against it.

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According to African National Congress’ TK Nciza, the motion to remove Campbell was not a collaboration between the ruling party and EFF, but all minority parties.

“This is not about us, but the people,” he told Newzroom Afrika.

Campbell was removed after a coalition of opposition parties last month removed the DA councillor Raymond Dhlamini as a council speaker and voted in EFF councillor Nthabiseng Tshivhenga as speaker.

READ MORE: Ekurhuleni speaker Raymond Dhlamini voted out through motion of no confidence

At the time, 139 councillors voted in favour of Tshivhenga’s removal, while 79 voted against the motion.

Ngodwana’s election welcomed

Ngodwana’s election has been welcomed by, among others, the Economic Freedom Fighters, which said the current coalition would put the interests of the people first.

“We welcome the election of councillor Sivuyile Ngodwana of the AIC as the new mayor. This is in line with the stance of the EFF to recruit the arrogant DA out of municipal executive positions across the province, in favour of partnerships that will put the interests of the people in the forefront; with the EFF directly participating in governance by delivering services, and numerically smaller parties occupying mayoral positions to ensure that there are checks and balances at all material times,” said the party.

“The EFF believes that the most important and immediate task ahead is to establish a people’s government that will serve the people of Ekurhuleni without fail. A government that will create jobs, fight crime, provide quality healthcare, construct and maintain roads, collect refuse and provide water and sanitation to our people. The EFF strongly believes that government must be about taking state power and transforming it in order to make material impact on people’s lives.”

ALSO READ: Tania Campbell removed as mayor of Ekurhuleni