Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse speaks before a protest march against the failing billing system in Johannesburg. Picture: Neil McCartney
Finally, after three weeks of painstaking negotiations among political parties, the City of Joburg has a multiparty
executive committee – without former mayor Herman Mashaba because he has “work to do” positioning his ActionSA party for the 2024 national elections.
He said he would lead the 2024 Project to ensure the ActionSA performed well in those polls.
It had been anticipated that Mashaba would get the infrastructure portfolio, which was his passion as former mayor.
He had big plans about the rejuvenation of the inner city and infrastructural development during his tenure.
“But serving in the executive for me was never on the agenda. I would have become mayor if we performed well in the election, but I will be an ordinary councillor,” Mashaba said.
New Democratic Alliance (DA) Joburg mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse appointed a four-party mayoral committee she believed would stabilise the city.
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She accommodated ActionSA’s three – Funzi Ngobeni in the transport portfolio, Nkuli Mbundu in economic development and former Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) chief David Tembe in public safety.
Ironically, the now promoted Tembe was unceremoniously hounded out as then JMPD chief by the outgoing ANC-led administration. With his second chance, he has become the boss of the entire portfolio, including his ANC appointed successor.
The parties in the coalition government were the DA, ActionSA, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+), but Phalatse said the coalition was actually broader because it had 10 parties.
She said other parties would be chairing the city council’s 17 oversight committees. The new Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for finance is the DA’s Julie Suddaby.
Other DA councillors in the executive were Leah Knott for group corporate and shared services, Belinda Echeozonjoku in development planning, and Michael Sun has returned to the executive, this time in environment and infrastructure service delivery.
Mlungisi Mabaso (IFP) had been appointed to housing, Franco de Lange (FF+) in health and social development, while community development went to Ronald Harris of the African Christian Democratic Party.
Phalatse believes her 10-member mayoral committee was the “best of the best” and a “good investment into the future of the city”.
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“Today they named a government that represents all their constituencies,” Phalatse said.
It took longer to appoint the committee because they wanted “to talk to other parties and to see if they could not stabilise the government” by turning a minority government into a majority coalition government.
The usual suspects – the ANC, the Economic Freedom Fighters and Patriotic Alliance (PA), had been locked out of the new coalition arrangement.
The DA did not see eye-to-eye with the ANC, refused to form any coalition with the EFF and declined PA’s exorbitant demands for two MMC positions in Johannesburg and two each in Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.
– ericn@citizen.co.za
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