The Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Nico Pienaar is the new mayor of Lephalale, oustingthe  African National Party’s (ANC’s) Alpheus Thulare, whom the party recalled.

Pienaar will be sworn in later today following his win after three of nine ANC councillors voted with the DA last week during a special council meeting.

The ANC has since launched an investigation into the councillors who voted with the DA, which Limpopo ANC provincial spokesperson Jimmy Machaka said was a shocking and an equally disturbing conduct.

Machaka said that the ANC would, in due course, report what led the councillors to vote with the opposition and said it would take decisive action.

“The only assurance is that any person that is found on the wrong side of the ANC directive will face the full might of the organisation’s internal processes and policies,” he said.

Machaka also said that Thulare’s incident was an isolated one within the organisation, wherein representatives of the party fail to understand that the organisation reserves the right to redeploy them at any time.

“For the organisation to recall comrade Thulare was out of a fair process as he had always known that he was just an interim mayor. The aim was to replace him with comrade Aaron Magehle who had been dully cleared of allegations that were previously levelled against him and he would be our voted Mayor. Unfortunately, comrade Thulare has turned into a law unto himself, along with other rebels, but the organisation will be taking decisive action against them,” Machaka said.

He added that after investigations were concluded, the ANC might consider a by-election.