After removing the Inkhata Freedom Party’s (IFP) MMC for Housing in the City of Johannesburg, Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba decided to appoint the African Christian Democratic Paty’s (ACDP) Meshack van Wyk on 18 May.
Van Wyk will replace the former MMC, Mzobanzi Ntuli of the IFP, who has become the fourth member of the mayoral committee to be replaced by Mashaba since their appointment in September 2016.
Mashaba said Ntuli inherited a housing department that was performing poorly and with a legacy of corruption.
“Despite former MMC Ntuli’s best efforts, the department’s performance has not improved. While this is primarily a function of the administration of this department, it is going to require different leadership to affect the turnaround of this critical function in the City,” the mayor said.
The mayor also said an increased provision of housing is what residents voted for in the local government election and that the multi-party government in Johannesburg must live up to those expectations.
The mayor said that despite prior engagements with the IFP, they are aware that the party is not in support of this decision.
“However, we will not allow considerations around coalition to impede the performance of the City in providing quality housing opportunities to our residents. Ultimately, I have taken this decision in the best interests of our residents, and it remains for the IFP to determine their course of action.”
The IFP’s Gauteng caucus leader, Bonginkosi Dhlamini, said the party was not surprised but disappointed by Mashaba’s unilateral decision to remove Ntuli. Dhlamini said Ntuli’s effort to turn things around was compromised by the apparent insistence on the employment of an ‘incompetent’ executive director of housing. He said that after this director was supposedly removed, Ntuli’s removal came.
“Prior to this, Mashaba had communicated his intentions to the IFP to swap two MMCs. To our astonishment, Mashaba announced the appointment of someone from the ACDP,” revealed Dhlamini.
“What is clear at this point is that Mayor Mashaba has violated the virtues of a coalition government. Because in the spirit of the cooperation agreement, if Mashaba found MMC Ntuli incompetent, it would have made political sense for the mayor to communicate this to the IFP – its coalition partner and ask to be given a more competent candidate,” said Dhlamini.
He also said that the three entities, the Johannesburg Roads Agency, Metrobus and the Johannesburg Social Housing Company, which fall under the housing and transport department, both who had IFP political oversight, did not have annual general meetings because the mayor’s ‘political handlers were not in agreement with the proposed changes in these entities’.
Dhlamini said that even though the IFP is still committed to the multi-party government, it will announce its next move in due course.
Meanwhile, Mashaba said he instructed Van Wyk to immediately focus on inner-city regeneration to fast-track delivery of affordable housing, student accommodation, and small business space, identification of City-owned land for service stands, maximise the use of provincial and national grants to deliver housing, expedite the delivery of title deeds, publicise the housing waiting list and developing a new housing policy.
Talk to us by emailing our group editor, Daniella Potter, at daniellap@caxton.co.za
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