An Ekurhuleni council meeting which is meant to elect a new mayor has been marked by delays of two hours with the agenda on election yet to be tabled.

Last minute negotiations and purposeful delays with multiple caucuses have punctuated the meeting meant to replace the DA's Tania Campbell.

Campbell was booted off as mayor of Ekurhuleni when a motion of no confidence tabled by the ANC succeeded last week.

Exactly a week ago, 100 councillors voted in favour of the motion against her while 93 voted against.

On Wednesday, ANC provincial leaders Panyaza Lesufi and provincial secretary TK Nciza were locked in a meeting with EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu and secretary-general Marshall Dlamini.

Speculation was rife that the EFF was pushing for its mayoral candidate Nkululeko Dunga to be elected with the support of the ANC.

However, the ANC caucus in council was seemingly not convinced by the move to place an EFF mayor at the helm of Ekurhuleni.

Speaking to Sowetan, one ANC councillor said they wanted ANC regional deputy chairperson Jongizizwe Dlabathi as mayor.

“We've been told the EFF wants mayor but the person who should be mayor now is Dlabathi but [regional chairperson Mzwandile] Masina also wants the job.

“We're saying that Jongizizwe must be elected mayor because Masina is going to the NEC (national executive committee),” the insider said.

By 12 noon, the council had called three caucuses at the request of both the ANC and EFF.

The EFF's Dunga remained tight-lipped on whether the party would field its own mayoral candidate after they abstained from last week's vote.

Dunga told media that whatever action the party would take would be decisive.

“Whether we support for or against any other candidate or field our own candidate you can expect decisive action from the EFF. Even abstaining is decisive action,” he said.

ActionSA provincial leader Bongani Baloyi said whether or not the coalition led by the DA continued depended on what action the DA took.

The ANC has 86 seats in council, the EFF 31, the DA-led coalition has 93. The coalition consists of the DA, ActionSA, IFP, FF+ and the ACDP. The PA, which voted with the ANC during the last meeting, has four seats.

nkosin@sowetan.co.za