The meeting to elect the new City of Tshwane mayor has collapsed after the African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) staged a walkout. 

Both parties vowed on Thursday that they would not participate in the special council meeting until speaker Katlego Mathebe resigned from her position.

"You are not going to chair this meeting. We will ensure that when we come back next time, you are not sitting there. We are not going to continue with this meeting the way you want it to continue," said ANC councillor Johnny Mohlala.

EFF councillor Moafrika Mobogoane called on Mathebe to immediately resign before a new mayor could be elected.

"If you resign now, we are willing to participate and elect a new mayor. You denied us an opportunity in January to engage on the matter.

"MEC Lebogang Maile sent you papers to debate here in this council, and you have failed as a speaker many times, and have failed the people of Tshwane. We want to discuss your conduct when we meet again next time," Mobogoane said.

He accused Mathebe of collapsing council sittings since October last year.

'No government'

Representing the ANC, Terrence Mashego said the party had made submissions, along with EFF, for Mathebe to step down.

"There is no government here, there is no mayor and members of the mayoral council are also not present. Let the Tshwane chief of police collect all keys of cars belonging to the City from officials who are not here," said Mashego.

Mathebe responded that she was not going to vacate her position.

"I am not going to resign. I don’t have intentions to resign. There are ways to remove a speaker. I will be removed as a speaker if it is only done legally.

"I am the duly elected speaker of this council. I will be here until I am legally removed. I was not born a speaker, "Mathebe said.

Mathebe denied collapsing the meeting, saying it was the ANC and EFF members who had voluntarily left the chambers.

The Democratic Alliance was expected to nominate Randall Williams as their mayoral candidate on Thursday.

The ANC and the EFF have not announced their candidates despite earlier reports by EFF leader Julius Malema that they were ready to govern the troubled municipality.