Joburg has new mayor: ANC’s Dada Morero promises to reduce load shedding

The ANC’s Enoch Dada Morero was elected unopposed as the City of Johannesburg’s new mayor on Friday, following Mpho Phalatse’s ousting.

The sitting was convened by newly-elected Speaker Colleen Makhubele after 139 councillors voted for the DA’s Phalatse to be removed.

New Joburg mayor

Morero accepted the nomination from GOOD party’s Lloyd Phillips, and vowed to stabilise the City’s financial situation, as well as attend to energy storage systems.

This, he says, will reduce load shedding in Johannesburg. He concluded by telling minority parties not to be undermined.

“Today is a good day to fall in love with the City of Johannesburg again.”

South Africans, however, are divided. One netizen said the country is in trouble – looting will continue and people will lose their jobs.

The user added: “Panyaza Lesufi and Dada Morero are known hyenas in the political spectrum”.

Meanwhile, Phalatse’s urgent court interdict to have the council meeting declared unlawful – filed at the Johannesburg High Court on Friday – was struck off the roll.

It’s understood the court’s decision was because the sitting had already convened before the matter could be heard in front of a judge.

ALSO READ: Phalatse can’t catch a break; court strikes case off the roll

Phalatse responds

Phalatse said in a media statement on Thursday the council meeting should be declared as “unlawful, invalid, null and void”.

She said the Programming Committee was inquorate, meaning it could not call for a council meeting on Friday. The papers also stated that: “The Council meeting convened by notices and schedules for [Friday, 30 September] at 10am be ordered and directed not to take place”.

Phalatse cited the “irregular manner and haste in which the sitting of Council was called ahead of recess”. She also said 20 hours’ notice for the council meeting was not sufficient.