Mogale City Mayor, Danny Thupane, who resigned before he could face a motion of no confidence, was “a puppet” of the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) said.

“As the only councillor of the African Transformation Movement (ATM), he persuaded the ANC and EFF to elect him as mayor and in return, he agreed to dance to their tune,” the FF Plus’ Danie Toerien said.

“His dance moves obviously did not impress his masters, so he threw in the towel before he could be knocked out.”

Thupane resigned on Wednesday, following a motion of no confidence tabled by the Pan Africanist Congress of South Africa (PAC).

Toerien said the Mogale City council now must elect a new mayor which he said was the third since the municipal elections in 2021.

Meanwhile, Rise Mzansi’s Gauteng provincial convener Tebogo Moalusi said Thupane’s resignation was an opportunity for councillors to put aside political differences and elect new mayor who will prioritise service delivery and infrastructure development, particularly in light of collapsed water and sanitation infrastructure.

“Moreover, the new executive mayor must appoint only the best among the ranks of the council to serve as members of the mayoral committees, regardless of political affiliation,” he said.

“While the resignation of councillor Thupane will not single-handedly resolve the many service delivery emergencies facing Mogale City residents, it offers an opportunity for a fresh start and a chance for the municipality to reboot and focus on the needs of the community until voters are able to elect new leaders in 2026.”

Moalusi called on residents to demand better services from their ward councillors and the incoming mayoral committees.

The municipality is facing many service delivery issues, including sewer spills, poor sanitation, illegal dumping and water pollution and supply shortages.

Thupane became the mayor of the struggling municipality in April 2023, after he was elected into the position with 43 votes, which included 31 from the ANC, 11 from the EFF and one from the ATM, which made over 50% of the council.

Following that, he replaced Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Tyrone Gray, who fell short with 34 votes.

In his resignation statement, Thupane said his decision came after thorough discussions with the ATM, and the ANC, which were the coalition partners in the government of unity in the municipality.

“I wish to thank the ANC, EFF and the people of Mogale City to serve them for the past eighteen months. I wish I could have done more, but the system has its limitations. I will continue to serve the people of Mogale City as part of the council,” he said in a statement.

Thupane expressed his gratitude to the members of the executive council and the employees of the city for their support, professionalism and service.

“I further wish to thank the African National Congress and the Economic Freedom Fighters for their support and cooperation throughout (my) tenure as the executive mayor,” said Thupane.

“I wish the incoming mayor and the new mayoral committee all the best in their quest to heighten levels of service delivery and the betterment of the lives of the less fortunate.”

IOL Politics