“We are doing everything in our power to make this happen,” said ANC provincial spokesperson Kenny Morolong.

“Our ANC provincial executive committee has committed itself to the reinstatement of comrade Maphetle as the mayor of Tlokwe local municipality.”

He said a meeting was held after Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Annette Combrinck replaced Maphetle.

“A meeting was convened with all ANC councillors committing to reinstate him which, inter alia, has been exhibited through a petition to the speaker of the city council.”

The petition calling for a special meeting had been signed by all ANC councillors in the area.

Morolong said the party had also met with a legal team to examine all processes related to the council resolution which led to the mayor’s removal last week.

“The ANC in the province will thoroughly investigate this setback, which is tantamount to a counter-revolution,” he said.

“And action will indeed be taken against those responsible for bringing such shame and embarrassment to our movement.”

Tlokwe municipal spokesperson Willie Maphosa said Maphetle was voted out last Wednesday, and Combrinck was immediately voted in.

Morolong said the motion was not an ANC decision, because it was “unknown to the organisation”.

Last week, the North West DA said an ANC-driven motion of no-confidence in Maphetle was accepted, with 37 votes in favour and 13 against.

Combrinck became the first DA mayor in the province after defeating ANC candidate Lucky Tsagae by 20 votes to 19.

Several ANC members tabled a notice of a motion of no confidence in Combrinck shortly after she won the vote.

The national ANC said it would lodge a formal complaint with the Independent Broadcasting Complaints Commission after it was allegedly reported that executive member Jackson Mthembu attended the council meeting where Maphetle was ousted.

Yesterday, DA leader Helen Zille referred to the situation in the North West and said the ruling party’s in-fighting had caused serious division within the movement which resulted in the ANC battling to “get it together”.

She said the party was so divided that it could not even agree on a mayoral preference.