Dipaleseng Municipality Speaker vacates office

Dipaleseng Local Municipality has announced that Councillor Xolani S. Shozi has officially ceased to hold office as Ward 1 councillor and Speaker of the Dipaleseng Municipal Council following his resignation from the African National Congress (ANC).

According to the municipality, the Municipal Manager received formal written notification on 17 September 2026 from the ANC’s Gert Sibande Regional Secretary confirming that Shozi had resigned from the party and was no longer an ANC member.

The municipality said the Municipal Structures Act requires that a ward councillor elected on behalf of a political party automatically vacates office if they cease to be a member of that party. As a result, Shozi’s position as Ward 1 councillor ended with effect from 17 September 2026.

Because the Speaker must be an elected councillor, the municipality said Shozi also automatically ceased to serve as Speaker of the Dipaleseng Municipal Council on the same date.

“Vacancies have now been recorded for both the Ward 1 councillor position and the office of Speaker,” the municipality confirmed in a statement.

The municipality has informed the Mpumalanga MEC responsible for local government and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) about the Ward 1 vacancy.

The process to fill both the ward seat and the Speaker’s position will be carried out in line with the Municipal Structures Act and other applicable legislation.

Shozi has also been instructed to return all municipal assets, equipment, records and other resources that were issued to him during his tenure. The municipality said the handover will be managed through its normal administrative processes.

Dipaleseng Local Municipality assured residents that the vacancies will not affect the continued functioning of the municipality or the delivery of services. It said all legal and electoral processes will be followed while the vacancies are filled.