News24 | ANC infighting grips Port St Johns as Constitutional Court ruling puts party back on ballot

Port St Johns Mayor Cebisa Mazuza was removed in a council meeting on Wednesday, just three weeks before the local government elections.

psjmunicipality.gov.za

• Port St Johns Mayor Cebisa Mazuza was removed in a council meeting on Wednesday, with ANC councillors accusing her of leadership failures, which she denied.
• The provincial ANC condemned the removal as unsanctioned, while Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Zolile Williams’ spokesperson called it irregular and a breach of the law.
• The Constitutional Court ordered the IEC to include the ANC’s candidates on the ballot for the local government elections, weeks after the party missed the 28 August registration cut-off.

While the ANC celebrated a Constitutional Court ruling against the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) over its refusal to include its candidate list on the ballot, one Eastern Cape municipality party to the case is gripped by infighting among ANC councillors.

This follows the removal of Port St Johns Local Municipality Mayor Cebisa Mazuza during a council meeting in the Eastern Cape’s Wild Coast town on Wednesday.

The majority of ANC councillors in the council accused Mazuza of leadership failures.

But Mazuza, who was replaced by another ANC councillor, Nelson Nontlevu, denied the claims.

The ANC in the province slammed the council’s decision, citing that the move had not been sanctioned by the party.

Mazuza told Newzroom Afrika that the infighting stemmed from differences among ANC councillors over the appointment of Mandisi Ngxekana as acting city manager.

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She said she was being guided by the office of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Zolile Williams regarding Ngxekana’s appointment.

According to her, some ANC councillors pushed for Ngxekana’s appointment despite Williams’ disagreement.

Meanwhile, the ANC in the province said Mazuza’s removal was an act of ill-discipline.

Party provincial spokesperson Yanga Zicina added:

The ANC is hard at work across the board, speaking with South African voters as part of the 2026 local government elections campaign. It should therefore not be deterred by petty issues such as removing each other from positions of responsibility.

“The ANC will get close to the developments and will ensure the application of corrective measures.”

Williams’ spokesperson, Pheello Oliphant, told News24 on Thursday that Mazuza’s removal “20 days before the end of the term is irregular and a breach of the law”.

“The MEC is applying his mind to the developments in the Port St Johns Municipality and looking at the conspectus [summary or overview] of the legalities of the developments and will provide guidance to the municipal council shortly before the 4 November elections,” said Oliphant.

READ | Mbalula collapses after ConCourt rules for ANC in candidate lists case

In a statement, the municipality added that Mazuza’s removal was done in line with “applicable local government legislation to ensure institutional stability and continuity of service delivery”.

“The newly elected mayor [Nontlevu] expressed gratitude to the council for the confidence bestowed upon him and committed to serving the communities of Port St Johns with dedication, integrity and commitment to good governance and accelerating service delivery,” it said.

The DA added that it was concerned by the instability in the municipality.

“The ANC’s overthrow of its own mayor in Port St Johns, just three weeks before the local government elections, is a stark example of the chaos residents can vote to end on 4 November,” said Mbongeni Kotana, the DA’s mayoral candidate in the municipality.

Kotana added that the town needed maintained roads, reliable refuse collection, and coordinated action with the responsible authorities to improve water, sanitation, and electricity services.

“Municipal services must continue, and lawful obligations must be honoured. The ANC’s internal battles cannot be used as an excuse to bypass financial controls or to burden the next council with unjustified commitments.

“The DA is ready to replace this instability with accountable leadership and a clear focus on delivery. As the DA’s mayoral candidate, I commit to restoring financial discipline, eliminating waste, making municipal spending transparent, and holding officials and councillors accountable.”

Meanwhile, the ANC went to the Constitutional Court after the exclusion of its candidates in Port St Johns, alongside the Eastern Cape’s Ingquza Hill, Sundays River Valley and Walter Sisulu, as well as the Free State’s Mangaung and KwaZulu-Natal’s uMshwati by the IEC’s 28 August cut-off.

The Electoral Court initially dismissed the party’s bid for its candidates to be included, but the Constitutional Court ruled in the ANC’s favour on Thursday, directing that the party’s candidates be included on the ballot.