Xhakaza’s plan to axe Dlabathi as Ekurhuleni finance MMC blocked

Sowetan · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · Aug 19, 2026 · 319 words · By Michelle Banda

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What to know about Xhakaza’s plan to axe Dlabathi as Ekurhuleni finance MMC blocked

The ANC in Gauteng has halted the Ekurhuleni mayor’s plans to remove his comrade and finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi from his position.

Claims checked 7

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center88%

Right12%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The ANC in Gauteng has halted the Ekurhuleni mayor’s plans to remove his comrade and finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi from his position.

Why it matters

Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza had intended to remove Dlabathi from the mayoral committee, citing the need to strengthen the ANC’s capacity.

Common ground

The letter about the imminent removal started circulating on Tuesday evening, and its legitimacy has since been confirmed by Xhakaza’s spokesperson Ramatolo Tlotleng on Wednesday.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Xhakaza’s plan to axe Dlabathi as Ekurhuleni finance MMC blocked?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The letter stated Nomadlozi Nkosi, the incumbent MMC for metro operations and maintenance, would take over from Dlabathi?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-08-19-xhakazas-plan-to-axe-dlabathi-as-ekurh…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “The letter stated Nomadlozi Nkosi, the incumbent MMC for metro operations and maintenance, would take over from Dlabathi.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources confirm that the letter designated Nomadlozi Nkosi (incumbent MMC for metro operations and maintenance) to take over or act as Finance MMC.

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web search NEUTRAL — Mayor moves to remove Finance MMC as mayoral race intensifies. POLITICAL tension mounting in Ekurhuleni. This as the ANC faces a contested race over who could lead the metro after the 4 November local…
https://www.snl24.com/news/mayor-mmc-showdown-finance-mmc-fa…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jongizizwe Dlabathi remains in his position as finance MMC after the ANC in Ekurhuleni intervened against mayor Xhakaza's plans to remove him.The letter stated Nomadlozi Nkosi, the incumbent MMC for m…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-08-19-xhakazas-plan-to…

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web search NEUTRAL — In the letter, Xhakaza further stated that he was appointing Nomadlozi Nkosi as acting MMC for finance. “This is after careful consideration in order to strengthen the organisational capacity towards …
https://www.news24.com/politics/anc-gauteng-intervenes-as-ek…

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Claim 2: “decisions on the need to make changes to the mayoral committee cannot be taken without the approval of the provincial officials through a presentation by the Regional Office Bearers [ROB].”

CORROBORATED

Independent sources confirm the requirement that changes to the mayoral committee must be approved by provincial officials following a presentation by the regional office bearers.

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web search NEUTRAL — Until then, the provincial officials believe the intention to make changes to the mayoral committee is premature and cannot be considered. According to sources, Dlabathi emerged as the preferred candi…
https://www.news24.com/politics/anc-gauteng-intervenes-as-ek…

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web search NEUTRAL — The ANC in the City of Ekurhuleni said it is engaging with its regional secretary, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, on his decision to resign from his position in the regional leadership and as the MMC for financ…
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/anc-in-…

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web search NEUTRAL — City of Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza confirmed that he had effected “strategic changes” to the composition of the City’s Mayoral Committee.
https://www.atnews.co.za/midnight-reshuffle-ushers-in-new-ma…

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Claim 3: “The letter seen by Sowetan reads: “The Mayor... decided to give effect to the organisational directive contained in the ANC SGO letter dated 29 May 2026 to relieve MMC of Finance and Strategy, Ald. Jongizizwe Dlabathi from his full-time executive duties and as a member of the mayoral committee for the City of Ekurhuleni.”

CORROBORATED

The removal of Dlabathi as MMC of Finance and Strategy is reported across multiple sources, and the specific mention of the letter's content is supported by the web search results.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mzwandile Collen Masina (born 2 September 1974) is a South African politician from Gauteng who has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly since June 2024. He is the c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mzwandile_Masina

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web search NEUTRAL — Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza had intended to remove Dlabathi from the mayoral committee, citing the need to strengthen the ANC’s capacity. A letter by the mayor of Ekurhuleni Nkosindiphile Xhakaza on h…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-08-19-xhakazas-plan-to…

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web search NEUTRAL — Mayor moves to remove Finance MMC as mayoral race intensifies. POLITICAL tension mounting in Ekurhuleni.Ekurhuleni mayor, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has moved to remove Finance and Strategy MMC, Jongizizwe…
https://www.snl24.com/news/mayor-mmc-showdown-finance-mmc-fa…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 4: “Sochayile Khanyile, the provincial co-ordinator, wrote a letter on Wednesday to the ANC regional structure stating that the changes were premature and should not be considered.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that provincial coordinator Sochayile Khanyile wrote a letter stating that the changes were premature and required provincial approval.

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web search NEUTRAL — In the Wednesday letter, PTT coordinator Sochayile Khanyile wrote that decisions regarding the need to make changes to the mayoral committee cannot be taken without the approval of the party’s provinc…
https://www.news24.com/politics/anc-gauteng-intervenes-as-ek…

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web search NEUTRAL — In a letter seen by the Sunday Times, ANC Gauteng provincial coordinator Sochayile Khanyile told Xhakaza that changes to the Ekurhuleni mayoral committee could not be made without the approval of the …
https://www.sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/politics/2026-08-20-…

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web search NEUTRAL — The ANC in Gauteng has officially launched the "Mayihlome" phase of its local government election campaign, declaring a fierce determination to win a renewed, full mandate to transform municipal gover…
https://www.polity.org.za/article/anc-gauteng-vows-to-transf…

info

Claim 5: “The letter about the imminent removal started circulating on Tuesday evening, and its legitimacy has since been confirmed by Xhakaza’s spokesperson Ramatolo Tlotleng on Wednesday.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the existence of the letter and the intention to remove Dlabathi are corroborated, the specific detail regarding the timing (Tuesday evening) and the confirmation by spokesperson Ramatolo Tlotleng on Wednesday is not explicitly detailed in the provided evidence snippets from other sources.

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web search NEUTRAL — The resignations come after Dlabathi mounted a spirited defence of mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza’s reshuffle last Tuesday, which slashed the EFF’s influence from five portfolios to two. Both the EFF and…
https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-02-26-dlabathi-resig…

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web search NEUTRAL — Mayor moves to remove Finance MMC as mayoral race intensifies. POLITICAL tension mounting in Ekurhuleni.However, Xhakaza’s memorandum does not explicitly state that Dlabathi’s reported mayoral ambitio…
https://www.snl24.com/news/mayor-mmc-showdown-finance-mmc-fa…

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Claim 6: “The ANC in Gauteng has halted the Ekurhuleni mayor’s plans to remove his comrade and finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi from his position.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that the ANC in Gauteng intervened to block Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza's attempt to remove Jongizizwe Dlabathi as Finance MMC.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nkosindiphile Doctor Xhakaza (born 1977) is a South African politician. He has served as the Executive Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since April 2024. He is a member of the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nkosindiphile_Xhakaza

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sivuyile Ngodwana is a South African politician who served as the mayor of Ekurhuleni from 30 March 2023 until 28 March 2024. He is a member of the African Independent Congress, a party that holds thr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivuyile_Ngodwana

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (Zulu: UMasipala weDolobhakazi laseKurhuleni; Afrikaans: Ekurhuleni Metropolitaanse Munisipaliteit; Northern Sotho: Mmasepala wa Toropokgolo ya Ekurhul…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Ekurhuleni_Metropolita…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza had intended to remove Dlabathi from the mayoral committee, citing the need to strengthen the ANC’s capacity.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources explicitly state that Mayor Xhakaza intended to remove Dlabathi to 'strengthen the ANC's capacity'.

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travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nkosindiphile Doctor Xhakaza is a South African politician. He has served as the Executive Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since April 2024. He is a member of the African Nat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nkosindiphile_Xhakaza

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web search NEUTRAL — Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza had intended to remove Dlabathi from the mayoral committee, citing the need to strengthen the ANC’s capacity.Jongizizwe Dlabathi from his full-time executive duties and as …
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-08-19-xhakazas-plan-to…

+ 1 more evidence source

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.