The EFF in the Eastern Cape has banned all its MPLs and councillors from participating in any activities in their respective municipalities and in the Bhisho legislature.
This is because the party wants all their public representatives in the province to focus on building party structures in their areas in the build-up to next year’s local government elections without being distracted by their government obligations.
However, Cogta (department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs) has said this clashes with public representatives’ commitments.
In a confidential letter dated October 27, seen by the Dispatch and sent to all EFF public representatives by provincial secretary Simthembile Madikizela, the representatives were informed “the work of the organisation now takes absolute priority”.
Any party member who defied this directive and was spotted in any municipal or legislature activity without party approval faced possible disciplinary proceedings, suspension or even expulsion.
In the correspondence Madikizela said this was just a temporary arrangement, “until a further directive is issued”.
“At the decisive moment, all hands must be on deck to rebuild and launch branches in preparation of the upcoming 2026 local government elections,” Madikizela wrote.
“Our focus and energy must be fully channelled towards strengthening the organisation at ground level, ensuring that every ward has a functional and disciplined branch that can lead the people and deliver victory for the organisation.”
The EFF has 125 councillors across the 39 provincial municipalities and eight MPLs at the Bhisho legislature.
Madikizela said none of these public representatives was permitted to attend any council or legislature “activity” during this period, adding that “should any urgent or unavoidable matter arise, you must first seek and obtain written approval”.
“Failure to adhere to this directive will be viewed as gross defiance of organisational authority and a violation of the revolutionary code of discipline.”
On Thursday Madikizela confirmed writing the letter as part of a directive that came from the national office. It affected representatives countrywide.
While EFF secretary-general Marshal Dlamini could not be reached on Thursday, the party’s national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said: “We do not have any comment on this.”
Madikizela, however, said there was nothing untoward about the directive. It was just a matter of party members dedicating their time to their constituency commitments.
“This is just a temporary withdrawal so that all our public reps can conclude organisational work, and thereafter we will be back to our government work.
“We have decided to withdraw from all government activities until November 15, and then we will review the decision to see how far are we with our organisational work.
“We will be dedicating this period of time to our people, our constituencies.”
Of the party’s 125 councillors in the province, Buffalo City Metro has the most EFF councillors with 13, while they have eight at the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro’s coalition government, two of whom are members of the mayoral committee.
Madikizela said the two Nelson Mandela Bay MMCs would not be affected by the directive “as we are almost complete with our organisational work in that area”.
He said the party’s process in rebuilding branches had started in earnest at the beginning of the year and was almost complete in some parts of the province.
Asked how the general membership was taking the directive, Madikizela said some individuals were finding this difficult to accept.
“Like in all political parties, we do not have the same level of commitment.”
On Thursday Cogta provincial spokesperson Pheello Oliphant said councillors, irrespective of their political parties, were expected to observe the code of conduct of the SA Local Government Association (Salga) and their municipal councils
“According to the standing rules of councils, as well as section 53 of the Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998, and the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000, a councillor has a duty to diligently attend all council meetings and committee meetings of which that councillor is a member, and if he is to be absent, must in advance submit a written apology to the speaker of the council and the chief whip of his party.
“The reasons for such absence must be valid. Should a councillor be absent from council meetings three times or more, the speaker should invoke disciplinary proceedings.”
Salga’s chief officer for intergovernmental relations and municipal resilience, Lance Joel, refused to comment on Thursday.
“It is my view that, as a starting point, we should stay clear of commenting on statements issued by political parties to their members,” Joel said.
“Secondly, we should rather focus on ensuring that municipalities, where the affected party members are deployed, apply the code of conduct and follow due processes in instances of non-adherence.”
Bhisho legislature speaker Helen Sauls-August’s spokesperson, Lwandile Sicwetsha, said his boss “has not received any correspondence from the EFF on withdrawal of their members”.
BCM council speaker Humphrey Maxegwana said the directive had not been officially brought to his attention, and that all 13 EFF councillors in his council had submitted applications for leave of absence when a virtual special council meeting was hosted on Wednesday.
“However, one of them, even though he too had applied for leave of absence, did join the Wednesday meeting,” Maxegwana said.
“If a councillor fails to attend three consecutive council or committee meetings, without any valid reason forwarded, that councillor is taken to the ethics committee.
“However, if a councillor has applied for a leave of absence, they are not regarded as absent.”
Walter Sisulu University lecturer and political analyst Mbasa Mvenene said the EFF’s directive raised some red flags.
“The instruction by the leadership for its councillors to immediately cease all municipal duties and instead focus on branch-building raises constitutional and legal red flags,” Mvenene said.
“Once elected, a councillor is not merely a party delegate but a public representative, sworn to uphold their constitutional mandate.
“Section 152 of the constitution outlines objectives of local government, while section 160 specifies that municipal councils must function continuously.
“Additionally, the Municipal Systems Act, sections 18 and 19, read in conjunction with schedule 1 of the Structures Act, places the onus on councillors to ensure participation in council business and act in the best interest of residents.
“Any political instruction that contradicts these statutory duties could be deemed unlawful and may justify intervention by the provincial MEC for Cogta in terms of section 139 of the constitution.”
Asked about the impact on service delivery, Mvenene said: “If implemented, this instruction could seriously paralyse already struggling municipalities in the Eastern Cape.
“Their absence from council duties would erode the functionality of these institutions, delay crucial decisions, and worsen the already fragile delivery of basic services.”
Daily Dispatch
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