‘We only learned of this through the media’: Al Jama-ah slams ‘reckless decision’ over Gwamanda

Al Jama-ah political party is crying foul over the dismissal of former Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda as MMC for community development over the weekend.

Gwamanda’s removal follows fraud allegations linked to a bogus funeral insurance scheme.

Al Jama-ah not consulted in Gwamanda’s removal

The party expressed dissatisfaction with mayor Dada Morero’s decision to remove Gwamanda, arguing that it was not adequately discussed with the party or with coalition partners.

Al Jama-ah provincial chair and former mayor Thapelo Amad said: “There was no proper consultation process. It’s a reckless decision because our party wasn’t engaged, so we can’t assess whether it was justifiable.

“In the city, the coalition is overseen by a political management committee, but there was no thorough consultation between the government of local unity (GLU) parties or with the mayor on this decision. Other than the GLU the party was never consulted by the ANC.”

ALSO READ: ActionSA tells Al Jama-ah to remove Gwamanda as Joburg councillor, DA demands investigation

Decision reconsideration

Amad acknowledged that while MMCs serve at the mayor’s discretion, this removal was a unilateral move by the mayor.

“The ANC, which appointed the mayor, doesn’t have a clear majority and needs us as coalition partners. The mayor should have engaged us, even outside the coalition’s main body. We only learned of this through the media, like everyone else,” he said.

Amad said the party wanted the decision reconsidered.

“We’ll engage further with the ANC to understand what went wrong between Al Jama-ah and the ANC. However if it’s indeed an ANC decision without our input, it will be clear where we stand as a party within the coalition.”

Gwamanda served as Johannesburg mayor from May 2023 following the ousting of Amad and held the position until August.

Many political parties, however, welcomed the decision, seeing it as essential to the integrity of the municipality.

ActionSA caucus leader Nobuhle Mthembu supported the move.

“It’s unacceptable for a public figure in a leadership role to face accusations of defrauding the same community they represent. We can’t have an MMC going in and out of court.”

ALSO READ: Fraud-accused former Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda booted from MMC position

‘It took the mayor far too long to reach this decision’

ActionSA called for a motion to refer Gwamanda to the ethics committee for a review to determine if he should be removed from the council.

Gwamanda remains a PR councilor, with any potential recall at his party’s discretion unless the council intervenes.

“The municipality’s integrity is at stake, especially as Gwamanda, a public representative in Johannesburg, will have to continue to face court appearances. It doesn’t look good at all for the municipality hence his removal would not affect governance, as his role as a PR councilor does not have the same accountability structure as a ward councilor,” Mthembu said.

The DA previously called for a thorough investigation into agreements and memorandums of understanding signed by Gwamanda during his terms as mayor and MMC for community development.

DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said while the party welcomed Gwamanda’s removal, that did not close the chapter.

“We can only imagine the damage caused by this individual both during his time as MMC for community development and during his short stint as mayor. We await the full report on this to be made public,” she said.

Wayne Duvenage, CEO of Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, criticised the delayed action, saying it showed weak leadership.

“We are not surprised, it took the mayor far too long to reach this decision. This administration lacks the urgency needed to address Johannesburg’s challenges,” he said. Duvenage said that while Gwamanda’s removal was a step forward, it’s not a complete solution for the city’s deeper issues. “We need the right people in place.”

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