In October, the ANC in the Eastern Cape said it would act against Lungisa, who refused to vacate his mayoral committee position, ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said.
“The provincial working committee is going to act and implement the ANC NEC decision,” Ngcukayitobi said.
He said it was made clear to Lungisa that he could not serve on any municipal executive structure while he had a court judgment against him.
“The removal of Lungisa is in line with ANC deployment policy which says people that have court judgments against them cannot serve in any executive authority positions,” Ngcukayitobi said.
He said Lungisa could remain as an ordinary ANC councillor until the court ruled on his appeal.
The former mayor, Athol Trollip, has slammed the new coalition government for promoting Lungisa to the mayoral committee, “by his crooked colleague Bobani, to head up the biggest and most important department with the biggest budget”.
EFF leader Julius Malema, whose party has supported the new coalition headed by UDM mayor Mongameli Bobani, also criticised the city for electing Lungisa. He told Lungisa that he shouldn’t have made the mistake of even availing himself for election in the first place.