Lesufi hits back at DA's Zille over claims that he defied ANC's national leadership

JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng African National Congress (ANC) leader Panyaza Lesufi has fired back at Democratic Alliance (DA) federal chairperson, Helen Zille, following her claims that he was defying the ANC's national leadership.
 
Zille made her remarks after Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink was ousted through a motion of no confidence led by the ANC with the support of ActionSA and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) last week.
 
Speaking on 702 on Monday morning, Lesufi insisted that the ANC operated as a unified structure across national, provincial and local levels.
 
"I'm baffled by this attitude that there's a division between us and the national leadership. I wasn’t even in the country when these discussions about Tshwane took place. From Germany, I was following the deliberations on social media."

The ANC in Tshwane removed Brink, saying that service delivery had deteriorated under his leadership.

Lesufi said that his party would not take responsibility for the decline in Tshwane's governance.