WATCH: Political parties demand action as Ekurhuleni leadership crisis deepens
Calls for decisive action are growing in Ekurhuleni, as opposition parties are calling for urgent action to restore confidence in the municipality.
Political parties in the City of Ekurhuleni are calling for urgent intervention following the arrest of senior municipal officials, warning that the situation has exposed a deepening leadership and governance crisis within the metro.
This comes after the arrests of Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Lerutla and suspended EMPD acting chief Julius Mkhwanazi, following allegations that they used a fake stand-in to mislead the court in an alleged attempt to shield the city manager from criminal proceedings, raising renewed questions about accountability within the metro.
Both face charges of fraud, corruption, and defeating or obstructing the ends of justice
However, opposition parties have shifted focus from the arrests themselves to what they say are broader systemic failures, linking the controversy to ongoing service delivery challenges affecting residents.
DA: ‘A full-blown leadership crisis’
The DA mayoral candidate, Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, described the developments as evidence of a ‘leadership crisis’ in the city, arguing that governance failures are now visible in the deteriorating conditions on the ground.
“It’s disheartening to see a city manager entrusted with millions of residents implicated in such serious matters,” said Rasilingwane.
“This speaks to the kind of leadership we have, and the consequences are clear in the collapse of service delivery.”
She pointed to persistent issues including water shortages, failing infrastructure and erratic electricity supply, saying these challenges reflect deeper institutional weaknesses.
ActionSA: ‘Push for suspension’
ActionSA councillor Siyanda Makhubo said his party will formally petition the speaker of council to convene an extraordinary meeting to address the matter, with a specific focus on the position of the city manager.
“As ActionSA, we take these charges very seriously,” said Makhubo.
“We believe the city manager should remain suspended while the case is ongoing to ensure stability and allow the municipality to continue delivering services effectively.”
Makhubo added that the allegations raise concerns about the potential misuse of authority, particularly given that the case dates back several years.
AGF: ‘Heads must roll
The newly formed political party, Azania Ground Forces (AGF), has also weighed in, calling for accountability and warning that the situation is already affecting internal operations within the municipality.
The party’s Letlhogonolo Moseki, who is a former MMC for Community Safety, said the developments were not entirely unexpected, describing them as issues that have persisted within the municipal structures over time.
“What is important now is that the rule of law is followed and that those implicated account for their actions,” said Moseki.
He noted that uncertainty at the leadership level is having a knock-on effect on municipal employees, particularly the programme recently initiated by the arrested city manager, which is aimed at improving frontline service delivery.
“These issues impact the entire system, including staff morale and the quality of services delivered to residents,” he said.
