An ANC Mpumalanga region has expelled 15 councillors and stripped them of their seats for participating in a council meeting that ousted its mayor.

The Nkangala ANC region in Mpumalanga had in November announced that it would take action against rebel councillors who participated in the ousting of its Dr JS Moroka local municipality mayor Thulare Madileng in October.

Yesterday, the party announced that its regional disciplinary committee resolved to expel all 15 councillors and strip them of the party's membership for breaching the party's membership oath and bringing it into disrepute among others.

"The 15 charged members are therefore discharged from their respective deployment as councillors in terms of Rule 25.21.9 of the ANC constitution," the party's regional disciplinary committee's ruling stated.

This comes after the Nkangala regional chairman, Speedy Mashilo, had emerged as a central figure in a conflict that's been running for nearly a year now, pitting Madileng against municipal manager Thami Kubheka.

Madileng needed an out-of-court settlement in November to return to the helm following a disputed council meeting which saw more than a dozen ANC members voting in favour of an EFF motion to oust him.

ANC regional spokesperson Sello Matshoga told Sowetan yesterday said they welcome the decision [to expel the councillors] as they had participated in an "illegal" council meeting in October, collaborating with the opposition.

"These councillors' actions have contributed to the destabilisation of service delivery to the community and thus bringing also the ANC into disrepute," Matshoga said.

The Mpumalanga government has already resolved to put the municipality in Siyabuswa under administration.