DA’s Jeff Zwane elected new mayor of Metsimaholo after resignation of EFF mayor

DA councillor Jeff Zwane has been elected the new executive mayor of Metsimaholo Local Municipality in the Free State.

The troubled municipality in Sasolburg on Friday convened a special council sitting to elect a new mayor.

This follows last week’s resignation of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor, Selloane Motjeane, who was instructed by the EFF’s national leadership to step down because she was elected through the support of ANC councillors. 

ALSO READ: EFF asks its mayor in Metsimaholo step down with immediate effect

The ANC has 16 seats in the 46-member council, while the EFF and DA have 12 seats each. At least 24 seats were required for the DA and EFF to install Zwane as the mayor of Metsimaholo, but his nomination was uncontested.

‘We don’t vote with the ANC’

Speaking at a media briefing last week, EFF leader Julius Malema said they had instructed Motjeane to resign because the party does not vote with the ANC.

“We don’t vote with the ANC. Even when the ANC votes for us, we should not accept that,” Malema said.

This followed the collapse of coalition talks between the Red Berets and the ANC, which ultimately led to the EFF and ActionSA voting for the DA’s mayoral candidates in several hung municipalities across the country.

Before last month’s local government elections, Metsimaholo was under the control of the SACP-led coalition with the ANC and other parties.

The municipality has been plagued with divisions and political infighting, leading to it being placed under administration in February last year by the provincial government after it failed to convene meetings and pass the budget.

NOW READ: EFF disrupted Ramaphosa and Zille’s plan to give hung metros to ANC, says Malema