Mashaba reveals ANC plans to dump Gwamanda as Joburg mayor

The African National Congress (ANC) is discussing plans to ditch Kabelo Gwamanda as the mayor of Johannesburg and could soon appoint its mayor, according to a statement by Action SA leader Herman Mashaba.

Mashaba revealed the party’s plans at a media briefing on Monday.

Following a series of meetings over the weekend, Mashaba said Action SA’s senate had given the green light for the party to work with the ANC to stabilise the City of Johannesburg.

ANC-Action SA agreement

According to Mashaba, an agreement has been reached with the Chairperson of the ANC in Gauteng Panyaza Lesufi and the region to replace Gwamanda as mayor and appoint a new mayoral committee.

“Saturday afternoon we then finalised our arrangement with the premier and some of his team in Gauteng and Johannesburg,” he said.

“We said to the ANC: Please the only way we are prepared to support you, we want the removal of this mayor,” said Mashaba.

The other demands Action SA made include a commitment to the rejuvenation of the City and the cancellation of the R200 City Power surcharge.

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Gwamanda, an Al-Jama-ah councillor was appointed by the current government of local unity (GLU) and a strong faction in the ANC in Joburg which was opposed to Dada Morero becoming a mayor.

According to the agreement between Action SA and the ANC, Action SA would vote with the ANC on an issue-by-issue basis while running the legislature.

“We allow the ANC with their current structures to run the executive. Action SA does not want anything to do with the executive. Action SA to take over the legislature with some of the committee allocated to them to accommodate their current partners,” he said.

Action SA, ANC, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) would have enough numbers to pass budgets and other motions when combined together.

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The Democratic Alliance(DA) will not be part of the new government in Johannesburg as the party believes that there should be fresh elections in the City of Johannesburg.

The party’s Gauteng chairperson, Fred Nel said he believed that the ANC was to blame for appointing two mayors from Al-Jama-ah who had failed to gain public trust.

The City of Johannesburg has had two mayors from Al-Jama-ah including the current mayor.

The first one had resigned after being accused of incompetence while the current mayor was appointed under a cloud of accusations of fraud and corruption.

“This is the mess that was created by the ANC because of political expediency. They just picked the first person they could get to put him as mayor,” he said.

Nel said the DA still found working with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Patriotic (PA) alliance in the City of Johannesburg problematic.

Meanwhile, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said the party plans to meet this week to talk about the municipalities.

He said the ANC would then make an announcement about the metros.