ANC rejects Gwamanda’s reappointment: ‘He knew he was going to get dismissed’

The ANC in Johannesburg says Kabelo Gwamanda will not be reinstated to his position as MMC of Community Development.

This comes after Gwamanda threatened the Speaker of Council Nobuhle Mthembu with court action if he was not reinstated by Thursday morning (November 14).

He was fired over the weekend, after being arrested for fraud.

Gwamanda through his lawyers Kern, Armstrong & Associates said he wants coalition partners in the City of Johannesburg to come up with a political solution to his arrest.

However, the ANC’s regional secretary in Johannesburg, Sasa Manganye told The Citizen on Thursday that reinstatement was “not an option.”

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“There will never be any reinstatement of an MMC. He is being allowed an opportunity to deal with his things. Reinstatement, from where I am sitting, is not even an option,” he said.

Request for comment from the City of Johannesburg and the Speakers office were unsuccesful at the time of publishing. Any update will be included, once recieved.

No return for Gwamda

Manganye said it was inevitable that Gwamanda would be dismissed.

He said before Gwamanda was fired proposals were already made on who would replace him from the minority bloc.

“The fact is Kabelo was aware that he would be dismissed. The minority bloc had discussed the issue and even recommended a name for Kabelo’s replacement.”

Gwamanda’s replacement

Manganye said Al Jama-ah had recommended former Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Amad take over from Gwamanda when he stepped down.

Amad preceded Gwamanda as mayor but resigned after pressure from coalition partners who saw him as being unfit for the job.

“We were clear with Al Jama-ah that the decision on who becomes MMC is not an ANC decision, but it will come from the minority bloc,” he said.

Manganye said he is not pleased with the legal threats against the Speaker of Council, who is also the chairperson of ActionSA in Johannesburg.

ANC reprimands Gwamanda

He said Gwamanda could have found better ways of dealing with his dismissal.

“We do not agree with their actions they should have engaged the Speaker and her party, the fact that they chose the court route is unfortunate,” he said.

ActionSA leader, Herman Mashaba told The Citizen on Thursday that his party would not even consider discussing Gwamanda’s reinstatement with the ANC and other coalition partners.

Instead, he said ActionSA would be challenging Gwamanda’s capability to represent the public in council.

“The only political solution that we will give him is us calling for his resignation at the next council sitting.

“We are not in coalition with anyone to protect criminality,” he said.

He wants an apology

The Citizen has contacted Gwamanda’s attorneys, Kern, Armstrong & Associates for comment on the matter.This article will be updated as soon as comment is received.

In an interview with the SABC on Thursday, Al Jama-ah Gauteng provincial spokesperson Anisa Mazimpaka said Gwamanda is not asking for the impossible.

“Councillor Gwamanda, through his legal team, is not demanding anything that cannot be done. For example, a public apology, amongst others, and that to me is nothing based on the damming allegations and alleged defamatory remarks that the Speaker has been making,” she said.

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