THE executive mayor of the Vhembe district municipality in Limpopo, Falaza Mdaka, became the first casualty ahead of the local government elections - he has been booted out.

Mdaka, who is chairperson of the ANC in the district and also provincial chairperson of the South African Local Government Association, was ousted amid the ongoing factionalism in the party.

The ANC's provincial executive committee allegedly told Mdaka to vacate his position after the local government elections because he did not make it into the party's nomination list of councillors to serve after the elections.

Insiders have hinted that the party would appoint Florence Rhumani to replace Mdaka .

Rhumani is head of the technical infrastructure portfolio in the municipality.

The removal of Mdaka was viewed as part of a move to deal with factionalism that would see all those who supported former ANC Youth League provincial chairperson Lehlogonolo Masoga being removed from their positions.

Mdaka was seen as sympathetic to Masoga before the youth leader was controversially ousted by the current provincial leadership of the league.

An ANC source said Mopani district municipality executive mayor Joshua Matlou was the only one whose position was safe, since he had been supporting ANCYL president Julius Malema.

"Mdaka's removal as mayor is a purge on those who supported Lehlogonolo Masoga's bid to retain his position as the league's provincial chairperson and nothing else," said the source.

The source accused Premier Cassel Mathale and Malema as the ones who had orchestrated Mdaka's removal to ensure that their preferred candidates were placed in strategic positions to push their agenda.

It is also alleged that other mayors would follow suit in a concerted move by the party's provincial leadership to pave the way for their trusted "comrades".

But ANC provincial secretary Joe Maswanganyi yesterday played down the matter, saying the redeployment of mayors and councillors would be done only after the May 18 elections.