Newly appointed Ekurhuleni mayor and African Independent Congress (AIC) member Sivuyile Ngodwana has appointed only African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members to his mayoral committee.

Ngodwana announced his mayoral committee on Thursday, a week after he was elected as mayor.

His election as mayor was only possible through the support of EFF and ANC councillors, and the make-up of his mayoral committee was an indication of the political coalition dynamics in the metro.

The AIC has only three seats in the Ekurhuleni council.

The ANC and the EFF have decided against backing their members for mayoral or speaker positions in municipalities the parties have taken over. Instead, the two parties have chosen to divide the mayoral committee positions among themselves, while they install minority party councillors as mayors.

A similar situation played out in Johannesburg.

Ngodwana said the mayoral committee would help bolster its service delivery commitments to the City.

EFF members with mayoral committee roles include the party's Gauteng chairperson, Nkululeko Dunga, who will chair the powerful finance portfolio.

The other EFF members on the mayoral committee include:

• MMC for Water, Sanitation and Energy – Leshaka Manamela
• MMC for Transport Planning, Roads and Stormwater – Andile Mngwevu
• MMC for Community Services: Health and Social Development – Bridget Thusi
• MMC for Environment and Waste Management Services – Eunice Matloga

The five ANC members appointed include:

• MMC for Infrastructure Services: Real Estate – Kgopelo Hollo
• MMC for Community Safety: Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department - Sizakele Masuku
• MMC for Corporate and Shared Services: Human Resources, Communications and Brand Management, Strategy, Risk, Legal and Internal Audit – Nkosindiphile Xhakaza
• MMC for Human Settlement – Masele Madihlaba
• MMC for City Planning and Economic Development – Nomadlozi Nkosi

The EFF has celebrated the appointment of five of its members as, for the first time, the party will now play a strong role in governance. 

"We occupy strategic positions which will enable us to implement the policies of the EFF and to better the lives of our people. The EFF has faith that councillor will turn the city around," Dunga said. 

Ekurhuleni was governed by a DA coalition partnership since the 2021 municipal elections. The coalition did not have a majority in the council, which left ousted mayor Tania Campbell vulnerable to a successful motion of no confidence brought by the ANC and the EFF.