Herman Mashaba is running away from the city’s ‘financial crisis’, says ANC

The ANC in the greater Johannesburg region has that Herman Mashaba is running away from the financial crisis he created following his resignation on Monday as the mayor of the city.

In a statement issued soon after Mashaba announced his resignation, the ANC said it is not shocked by the mayor’s decision.

“Mashaba’s resignation has very little to do with the election of Helen Zille as the DA’s Chairperson. His resignation is informed by the dire financial crisis that he has plunged the City of Johannesburg into. He has over time been able to get away with lies about the financial affairs of the City.

“Mashaba’s is running away from the soon to be exposed truth that the City of Johannesburg is broke and may not be able to finance the day to day basic costs of providing water and electricity to Johannesburg residents including paying salaries to staff.

“Mashaba has always said he is there through the will of the people but he resigns due to party political matters that have nothing to do with the city,” the statement reads.

The party called Mashaba “a sore loser” who is not a democrat.

“Just because he lost a battle in the party, he throws his toys out of the [cot].

“Mashaba is an attention seeker who was going down anyway. He needed an ‘honourable’ exit and Zille’s election is a perfect excuse.”

Mashaba threatened to leave the party if “right-wing elements” took over, in what was likely a reference to Helen Zille, who was running for the role of federal chairperson and has since been elected.

Just hours after Zille’s election as the new DA federal council chairperson, it seemed clear Mashaba planned to follow through on his promise to step down. He has since confirmed his resignation at a media briefing.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu, additional reporting, News24 Wire)

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