By-elections are expected to be held in the Sol Plaatje Municipality in the Northern Cape after the provincial African National Congress(ANC) confirmed the expulsion of nine of its members in the municipal council.
The nine were expelled after they were found guilty of defying party instructions and colluding with opposition parties to remove then municipal mayor Mangaliso Matika from office in August.
Council has been in limbo since then with a mayor being officially appointed.
Provincial ANC deputy secretary Maruping Lekwene says the members did not appeal their expulsion despite being given 21 days in which to do so.
He says the ANC makes provision for members to appeal any sanction handed down by the disciplinary committee within 21 days. They can appeal this to a higher structure.
He says: “In this instance, the province has not received any appeal and therefore the outcome of the regional committee stands.”
