EMALAHLENI – The ANC in Nkangala has confirmed that it instructed eMalahleni Mayor Vusi Nhlapo to remove two members of his Mayoral Committee on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, citing poor performance and alleged links to the Service Delivery Party (SDP).
Former MMC for Waste and Environment Betty Maphosa and former MMC for Community Services Sizwe Buthelezi were removed with immediate effect following what Nhlapo described as formal consultations.
Nhlapo said the changes were aimed at improving municipal performance and accelerating service delivery.
“This decision is about accelerating service delivery, strengthening oversight, and ensuring the municipality implements the IDP and service delivery programmes with urgency and effectiveness,” he said.
Lucky Tolo has been appointed MMC for Community Services, while Nombuso Mokwana moved from Development Planning and Spatial Planning to Waste and Environment. Thembi Shabalala has been appointed MMC for Development Planning and Spatial Planning.
ANC Nkangala Regional Secretary Sello Matshoga said the party was briefed about the reasons for the reshuffle about two months ago before instructing the mayor to act.
Matshoga said Buthelezi’s removal was linked to his conduct towards the ANC and council after he lost the Ward 16 councillor candidate nomination process.
“We were reliably informed that he started working with the SDP, and we have since confirmed that information. We can confirm that he is no longer a member of the ANC and we are in the process of submitting a letter of withdrawal to the IEC,” Matshoga said.
He said Maphosa was removed for poor performance, alleging that she was often late for caucus meetings and absent from council meetings.
Buthelezi denied the allegations and accused the ANC regional leadership of interfering in the municipality.
“I have always been vocal and refused to be coerced into making the wrong decisions such as employing directors with criminal cases,” he said.
He also alleged that businesspeople were instructed to provide money for alcohol to influence voters during the Ward 16 nomination process.
Buthelezi confirmed that he had joined the SDP, saying his ANC membership expires on 18 August 2026.
“I decided to join the SDP because I know my membership will not be renewed. After repeatedly trying to raise these issues within the ANC and being sidelined, ignored and pushed to the edge, I realised they no longer want me,” he said.
Maphosa, who is also Ward 31 councillor, rejected Matshoga’s allegations, saying her removal was based on unproven claims that she was supporting an SDP councillor candidate in Phola.
“I received a call from one of my political superiors, three days before the reshuffle, saying that the ANC is concerned that I was mobilising support for an SDP councillor candidate in Phola. They could not prove those rumours to be true,” she said.
Maphosa denied being an SDP member and said her absences from council meetings were due to official duties, sick leave or family responsibility leave.
The SDP confirmed Buthelezi as a member, with national organiser Ncobile “Bullet Mkabayi” Mazibuko saying the party expected more ANC members to join, but could not confirm whether Maphosa had joined the party.
The new Mayoral Committee comprises Hessie Maseko for Corporate Services, Thabang Mathebula for Technical Services, Nombuso Mokwana for Waste and Environment, Thembi Shabalala for Development Planning and Spatial Planning, Lucky Tolo for Community Services and Faith Khumalo for Finance.
