‘I could be next’ – Joburg Mayor Phalatse tackles mayoral seat death fears

The unfortunate deaths of former African National Congress (ANC) mayors has left City of Johannesburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse fearing that she could be next.

Speaking at the funeral service of ex-mayor Mpho Moerane held in Alexandra on Sunday, Democratic Alliance (DA) mayor Phalatse told mourners that the deaths of Julidee Matongo and Geoff Makhubo, who both died within a three month period last year, has raised some questions and rumours about the mayoral seat.

She said 18 councillors have died between 2016 and 2021, including former ANC mayors Matongo and Makhubo.

“We’ve been through a lot as the city…it’s all too much for us to take in, we have so many questions. I’ve received many words of condolences, prayers but am also detecting a lot of fear, a fear that I would be next.

“And indeed, as staticians would say, the balance of probabilities is that if one looks at city mayorship, there is a very concerning pattern. But I want to let everyone know that I will not die prematurely, we trust God to deliver us. I’ve been warned not to entertain that thinking but to rather trust in life, because death and life are words of the tongue.”

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Moerane’s family announced his tragic death outside Milpark hospital in Johannesburg on Wednesday. He had been in intensive care following a car crash almost two weeks ago.

Referring to Moerane as “bitso,” loosely translated, meaning name-sake as they have the same first name, Phalatse said they had a great friendship even outside council chambers.

The friendship started after a Twitter furore, said Phalatse. She said she was accused by Joburg ANC members of voting in Alexandra in the 2016 local polls even though she wasn’t supposed to cast her vote there.

“After some back and forth in that Twitter twar, I ended up blocking and ignoring him, he was not in council at the time. In 2019 when the ANC took back control, he became MMC, we planned a lunch where I wanted to congratulate him.

He picked up the venue, and lord and behold, he picked a restaurant of his friend, whom I was not aware at the time was the same person who attacked me on Twitter,” she said.

Their friendship continued nonetheless, with Phalatse even requesting him to stand in for her at the Joburg golf tournament and tee off on her behalf.

“He later canceled, telling me his party has instructed him to be the leader of the opposition instead of playing the mayor.”

She was met with disagreements from the audience when said South Africa was headed to more coalition governments.

“Never!”, screamed some in the audience.

Phalatse replied that coalitions required political maturity.

“It is a phase of politics that requires an understanding of what democracy truly means. It also requires great maturity and a certain type of leadership, and Mpho possessed that type of leadership.

“We were not ready to lose him…the Joburg multi-party government worked very well with the ANC in Joburg under Mpho’s leadership, except for a few teething glitches. It is my prayer that you will give us another a successor with the same love for people and level of political maturity as Mpho.”

Moerane’s family members, friends and his fellow comrades delivered moving tributes for the former mayor.

President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered Moerane’s eulogy at the funeral.

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