**Top South African municipal officials have been sacked following violent township protests east of Johannesburg.**Demonstrators in Sakhile township were angered that they are still without new houses, water and electricity - which they blamed on corrupt officials.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) party says the dismissals were a matter of principle.
Residents ululated and danced when given the news, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reports.
The decision came after a meeting in Mpumalanga Province between high-ranking members of the ANC, including Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula, Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza and ANC Youth League President Julius Malema.
Mr Malema’s spokesperson told the BBC that the municipality was “dysfunctional”.
“The officials, all of them ANC councillors, were given warnings previously but had shown no signs of improvement,” Floyd Shivambu said.
‘The final straw’
Mr Mbalula said the decision to dismiss the mayor and senior councillors was a matter of principle, reports the national broadcaster SABC.
“Where we feel that there has been a dereliction of duty, councillors will be recalled,” he said.
The officials, who are all ANC members, were appointed in 2006 after the local government elections.
But the ANC had received numerous complaints about corruption and mismanagement at their offices, Mr Shivambu said.
He said the “final straw” came after “the rise of the people on the ground” in recent weeks.
An administrator will be appointed to manage the day-to-day running of the municipality until the next local elections due in 12 months.
Corruption allegations
The protests started on 25 September after a local government department released a report implicating the municipal officials in corruption and fraud.
Thousands of residents went on rampage torching a community hall, a library and two houses belonging to local councillors.
They were demanding that all councillors resign in light of the government’s report.
They complained that they were without services like water, electricity and proper housing because officials were embezzling state funds.
President Jacob Zuma has promised to improve services in the townships to quell a wave of protests.
More than 150 people have been arrested in Mpumalanga for public violence and arson since the protests started last month.