ANC seeks removal of two Cape Town councillors after party defections

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The ANC requested the immediate removal of two Cape Town councillors, Lindile Sonyoka and Thembinkosi Mjuza, from the party list after they joined the Patriotic Alliance and the DA, respectively. The ANC contended that the councillors ceased to be party members upon joining other organizations, despite Mjuza continuing to attend ANC meetings. This request followed the Electoral Commission of SA’s deadline for candidate list submissions, which occurred while the ANC simultaneously faced internal challenges regarding candidate list integrity in the Eastern Cape.

Consequences

The ANC faces mounting political instability as it deals with internal disputes over candidate lists in the Eastern Cape and the loss of council representation in Cape Town just over two months before local government elections. The situation intensified regional tensions, evidenced by a public altercation between the ANC's Cape Town leader and a defecting councillor.

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