Limpopo ANC provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane says the provincial executive committee (PEC) resolved to release seven mayors who invested millions of rands of public funds in the VBS Mutual Bank.

Lekganyane said Vhembe district mayor and deputy chairperson of the ANC Florence Radzilani submitted a letter of resignation this morning.

Radzilani was implicated in advocate Terry Motau's forensic report for demanding a R300,000 "Christmas" present after her municipality deposited R300m into the bank.

Other mayors who were fired include those of the Lepelle-Nkumpi, Greater Giyani, Fetakgomo-Tubatse, Ephraim Mogale, Elias Motsoaledi, Thabazimbi and Makhado municipalities.

"We have discussed this matter as the ruling party," said Lekganyane. "And as the party we can't dictate to mayors; that's not our role, that's the council's."

Twelve Limpopo municipalities invested in the bank but only seven didn't get their money back.Lekganyane said the party was engaged in a lengthy meeting on Monday night over the issue."

We also want to review our cadre deployment because serious occurrences could have been avoided. Also, the inability of our municipal councillors to detect that there are monies invested and [that] those investment were wrong," he said.

Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha said the forensic report recommended that disciplinary action be considered against municipal managers.

The report also recommended that disciplinary action should be taken against chief financial officers.

"All municipal [managers] and politicians acknowledged knowing the Public Finance and Management Act but failed to follow it."

The investigations were led by the Limpopo provincial treasury " Investigations in relation to Capricorn and Thulamela municipalities are still incomplete," said Mathabatha.