SEDIBENG.- The DA in Emfuleni has welcomed the removal of former Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) Executive Mayor Sipho Radebe, and called for the immediate resignation of all ANC councillors who supported him during his time in office.

According to the DA, the ruling party only took action against Radebe after losing Ward 28 to the opposition in a recent by-election.

The party claims this historic victory in a township ward proves that residents are tired of empty promises and have lost all confidence in the ANC local government.

Sewer flows into homes, crime is rising, and illegal dumping sites have become a common sight.

For years, locals have had to endure a failing municipality defined by corruption and poor service delivery, where raw sewage flows into homes, crime is rising, and illegal dumping sites have become a common sight.

While the ANC maintains that the mayor resigned due to service delivery failures, the DA points out that it has been raising these exact concerns for years.

In 2023, the opposition brought a Motion of No Confidence (MoNC) against Radebe for poor leadership and collapsing services, but the ANC defended him at the time, insisting he was the right man for the job.

The ANC is terrified of losing power

The DA argues that Radebe was not removed to improve services, but rather because the ANC is terrified of losing power after losing the ward. The opposition insists that replacing Radebe with another ANC councillor will change nothing, as none of them have shown the ability to turn the municipality around after years of protecting a failing mayor.

The DA believes Emfuleni needs completely new leadership and claims that only a DA-led government can fix the area, viewing the latest by-election victory as a clear mandate from residents for total political change.