The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng believes its Ekurhuleni regional leader, Mzwandile Masina, should face disciplinary action for meddling in and compromising coalition talks with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

On Thursday, the party said its provincial executive committee (PEC) believed the region had acted in a manner that compromised its position in negotiations with the EFF.

Masina had compromised the provincial leadership when he led the charge in bringing a motion of no confidence in Mayor Tania Campbell in October.

The move was said to have upset ANC Gauteng leaders, who warned the region to withdraw the motion.

Concerns about the premature submission of the motion centred on the unresolved coalition talks between the EFF and provincial ANC.

Despite warnings, the Ekurhuleni leadership went ahead with the motion, successfully removing Campbell with the help of a minority bloc of political parties in the council.

A race to seal a deal with the EFF was then set in motion.

The ANC provincial leadership, led by chairperson Panyaza Lesufi and provincial secretary TK Nciza, held discussions with the EFF's national leadership.

The talks collapsed, with the ANC Ekurhuleni regional caucus refusing to vote in support of the EFF's mayoral candidate, Nkululeko Dunga.

Masina said the region could not accept giving away the executive when it had the most significant representations in the metro's wards.

Campbell was re-elected as mayor with the support of EFF councillors as a punishment to the ANC.

In a post-PEC media briefing on Thursday, Nciza said they strongly believed the region had defied the province.

Masina would be disciplined for this action, while the region's members would also receive a tongue-lashing in political meetings planned for next week, he added.

"The PEC has taken a decision that action must be taken against the chairperson of the region for bringing the ANC into disrepute, and the provincial working committee (PWC) has been mandated to deal with the matter urgently.

"On 15 November, the PWC will visit all ANC structures in Ekurhuleni and its structures," Nciza said.

He added ANC members in Ekurhuleni could not act as if the party had won the elections, saying if the region were concerned about service delivery, then Campbell would not be back as mayor.

Nciza warned the coalition journey for the ANC would require compromise, and the arrogance of unwillingness to vote with other political parties was unjustified.

"The ANC does not do freestyling because they are very dangerous. PEC members even accused us of over-consulting.

"We consulted all our structures, but we understood that what we were dealing with was something different. The reality is that we never won elections, and we do not have anything. The conference mandated us to regain lost ground. We will continue to engage with other parties.

"If the motion in Ekurhuleni was done because of a lack of service delivery, then why is Tania back? Because it was done for that purpose. Why should other parties vote for us, and we do not vote for them? What is revolutionary about that?" Nciza said.

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika on Thursday, EFF leader Julius Malema said if the ANC was interested in rekindling coalition talks for Johannesburg, the party should vote in support of an EFF mayoral candidate in Ekurhuleni.

"But [if] the ANC wants to come back to the EFF, they will have to do one thing and one thing only: they have to go and put the [EFF in the position] of mayor of Ekurhuleni… then we can talk."

Malema said the EFF would help shield the Democratic Alliance in motions of no confidence until the ANC stopped being dishonest.