Former Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
City of Joburg mayor, Mpho Phalatse intends to block the ANC’s attempts to have her removed from office yet again.
The ANC in Johannesburg has brought a new motion of no confidence against the Democratic Alliance (DA) official following her recent reinstatement as mayor.
Phalatse returned to the helm of the City last week, after the Johannesburg High Court ruled in her favour and set aside the election of ANC Joburg regional chair, Dada Morero as the new mayor.
The ANC, however, has chosen not to appeal the court ruling and has decided to embark on another motion of no confidence process.
The matter has been placed as an item of the City of Joburg’s agenda ahead of an extraordinary council meeting scheduled for Thursday.
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But Phalatse has since notified City of Joburg Speaker, Colleen Makhubele, who was ordered to pay the DA’s costs, that she would launch another urgent court interdict to challenge the tabling of the motion.
She has asked the Johannesburg High Court to review and set aside the Programming Committee’s decision to approve the motion during a meeting on Friday.
Her previous interdict application was struck off the court roll on 30 September, which was the same day Phalatse was voted out.
Meanwhile, Phalatse held a media briefing on Monday, where she addressed Joburg residents regarding the water supply issues plaguing the metropolitan municipality as a result of Rand Water implementing level-2 water restrictions.
During the briefing, the Joburg mayor insisted that the “rightful committee” was back where it belonged and “picking up where we left off”.
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“My fellow residents, not only have you had to contend with the worst year of load shedding since the first scheduled blackouts in 2007, but you have also been forced to live with an unstable supply of water,” she said.
“Before the coup by the ANC, the multiparty government made significant progress in undoing decades of neglect of our water system.”
She criticised Morero’s decision to place JoJo tanks and boreholes across the City labelling the move as “a plaster to heal a severe wound”.
According to Phalatse, Joburg Water has proposed medium and long-term interventions and projects to ensure sustainability of water supply.
“Plans for a new connection from Rand Water to supplement supply to critical bulk water supply areas in Joburg are underway.
“Sadly, however, with all these continuous interventions, the problem of ANC maladministration remains with our bulk water supplier Rand Water. This entity has failed dismally in the maintenance of the electric infrastructure which now impacts its ability to pump water,” she said.
READ MORE: SA returns to dark ages as power cuts, water restrictions persist
She added that the municipality had invested R930 million in water supply and sewer infrastructure.
The City, Phalatse highlighted, has also started replacing asbestos pipes and upgrading the Crosby and Brixton reservoirs.
“Joburg Water has replaced 100.8km or water pipes and 69.5km of sewer pipes during the months of April to June.
“Over the coming days we will also be working to ensure that urgent matters, like the water and power crises, and that the safety and security of residents, are attended to,” she concluded.
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