The ANC leadership in the Eastern Cape met Maphazi on Thursday and agreed that she should be removed as mayor with immediate effect, said ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyana.
He said the metro had many challenges politically and administratively.
"There are challenges both in the council and outside. Now here we have someone who seems not too willing to work with the ANC, the party that deployed her as mayor," said Mabuyana.
He said the situation was so bad in the metro that it had become impossible for Maphazi to address public gatherings. "She was getting exposed really badly. People on the ground would boo and howl insults at her, showing no respect for her because they felt she was not performing well."
Mabuyana said the ANC had no other problems with Maphazi, besides that the ANC had not performed well in the metro during her tenure.
"In the general elections this year we only managed about 53% in the metro, while we have always been getting about 80% of the votes.
"We need to do all we can to ensure that our organisation performs well in the coming local government elections in 2011.
That means deploying and redeploying our leaders if we have to," he said.
Although he could not say what Maphazi's reaction was to her removal, Mabuyana said "shock is a natural thing with such issues".
The ANC's interventions should be interpreted as a relief for Maphazi, who would be moved to the office of the premier, he said.
It was not clear what she would do in the premier's office, but premier Noxolo Kiviet would make announcement her position soon.
Mabuyana said Maphazi had not tendered her resignation yet.
The ANC decided that regional secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers and councillor Zanoxolo Wayile would replace Maphazi as mayor as soon as she resigned officially.
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