The Independent Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) would be notified of vacancies after the expulsion of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Mogale City Councillors from the party, the municipality said on Monday.

Spokesperson Nkosana Zali said the council had received a formal notification from the EFF on the expulsion of six of their councillors.

“The municipality will relay the message of the political party to the IEC as provided for in law when a vacancy occurs in council, as in the Local Government Municipal Structures Act, No. 117 of 1998. The matter is now in the hands of the IEC who will take it to its logical conclusion,” Zali said.

The party had nine representatives in the council, all of whom were proportional representation (PR) councillors. A by-election would had to be held if they were ward councillors, said Zali.

“The party determines who represents it in the PR seats. Had any of them been ward councillors, then a whole new process would have been required which would include by-elections. The IEC is the custodian of the entire process and advises councils, as decided by political parties, on who is supposed to be the public representative in a given municipality.”

Nhlanhla Shilubane, Nomonde Nkatu, Lemogang Modisane, Eric Baloyi, Edward Motsitsi and Simanga Mkhumbeni were expelled for voting with the African National Congress (ANC) during a budget vote at the coalition council in July.

The EFF Central Command Team took the decision on Sunday after disciplinary processes.

EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said by voting along side the ANC, the six betrayed the EFF’s “revolutionary tenant”.

“The mandate not to vote with ANC was consistent with fighting corruption as reflected in our non-negotiable cardinal pillar number seven. Thus, these six councillors, essentially betrayed our revolutionary tenant. Accordingly, they have been expelled.”

The six have a right to appeal, he added.