PORT ELIZABETH - The ANC in the Eastern Cape said on Monday there was an element of "non performance" and an element of "divide and rule" in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
ANC Provincial Chairperson Oscar Mabuyane had earlier met with the ANC caucus in Nelson Bay which is in a coalition government with the United Democratic Movement, the AIC and the UF.
The meeting between the two structures was held to discuss current coalition challenges.
A day before, President Cyril Ramaphosa on the campaign trail criticised the coalition government in Nelson Mandela Bay describing the streets in the city as "filthy" toppled together with a coalition government that was "not working".
The ANC in the metro, hold the majority of seats at council and Mabuyane raised concerns that the party had missed two oversight meetings with the MEC of Finance, a position also held by Mabuyane.
"It's part of what we have identified as sins of incumbents, the fact that people were fighting here, blatantly it was just an indication there is an element of divide and rule which is characterised through the element of patronage.
"So you have that situation we are trying to get it right. People have lost their lives ... and that actually misrepresents the ANC and its government,"Mabuyane said.
Earlier this year, at least two people were reported to have been killed linked to tensions about business dealings involving SMMEs in the Metro.
Mabuyane said disunity was the antithesis of anti-theist of the ANC and the party needed to rid the "cancer" out of the system. He said the party aimed to bring coercion and for the ANC in the metro to play an effective and disciplined role within the coalition.
"We are clear as part of the renewal we can't coexist with irregular, wasteful and fruitless expenditure." "We definitely needed to deal with some of these issues promptly but legally so we don't divide our people in the process," he said.
On the issue of mayoral committee member for infrastructure and engineering, Andile Lungisa, Mabuyane said the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) had given an instruction that Lungisa should resign as an MMC member.
Mabuyane said that Lungisa had come forward and accepted the decision but had since appealed the matter at national level.
Lungisa was earlier convicted of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and sentenced to two years behind bars for the infamous 2016 council brawl.
His bid to have the conviction and sentencing overturned in the Supreme Court of Appeal failed earlier this month and he has since taken the fight to the Constitutional Court.
"It will be incorrect to judge him on the basis of an appealed court decision. It is within his rights as enshrined in the constitution of our country to appeal to the last court.
"We can't be throwing tantrums simply because we develop chicken pox when we see him. We want him to be like any other councillor and behave normally like other councillors and then we are able to move forward," Mabuyane said.