Next Joburg mayor likely to come from a minority party

Following the resignation of former mayor Thapelo Amad on Monday, two months after he was elected, the new Joburg mayor is likely to come from yet another minority party in the Joburg council, with the prerogative given to the ANC to choose the next mayor.

Amad resigned from the hot seat after his coalition partner the Patriotic Alliance threatened to support a motion of confidence tabled by ActionSA against him yesterday.

Amad said his resignation had nothing to do with the public’s opinion about his ability to lead. He said his appointment as mayor was never about him but the collective.

Amad has become the ninth mayor not to complete a full term since Parks Tau in 2016.

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Since then, the metro has been under Herman Mashaba (2016-2019,) Geoff Makhubo (2019-2021) deceased, Eunice Mgcina (acting, 2021), Jolidee Matongo (2021) deceased, Mpho Moerane (2021) deceased, Mpho Phalatse (2021-2022), Dada Morero (30 September 2022 to 25 October 2022) Mpho Phalatse, (October 2022- January 2023) and Amad (27 January 2023-24 April 2023).

New Joburg mayor

The new mayor is expected to be elected in an extraordinary council meeting on 2 May.

Joburg council speaker Colleen Makhubele said it was the prerogative of the ANC to select a mayor and that person was likely to come from the minority parties.

“We are waiting for them to announce who it will be according to the criteria they would have chosen. Once they finalise their internal process, the ANC will announce.

“We believe the mayor will come from the minority block but it’s the ANC’s choice,” she said.

‘Just a change of name’

Former MMC for community development Lubabalo Magwentshu also confirmed that the new mayor was likely to come from the minority parties.

“There was a decision taken that the hung municipalities would be taken by the minorities to demonstrate that we have moved away from the politics of numbers and we are in the politics of service delivery,” Magwentshu said.

He said Johannesburg residents should not worry about the stability of the city as Amad’s resignation just meant a change of face in government.

ALSO READ: Thapelo Amad resigns as Joburg mayor

“It is just a change of name, the new mayor will push the same agenda and the focus will be the same. The government is very stable,” Magwentshu said.

“The new mayor will not come out and say this is a new thing. The only difference will be the style of leadership.”

Motions of no confidence

Gauteng cooperative governance and traditional affairs spokesperson Kgapa Mabusela said MEC Mzi Khumalo was of the view that motions of no confidence should be a last resort.

“The MEC is working on an intervention to strengthen a resolution to ensure that parties can resolve their dispute without having to resort to motions of confidence.

“Secondly, it is important that if there is a vacancy, parties represented in council go back to council and elect a mayor so that service delivery is not being compromised.”

WATCH: ‘Puppet mayor’ – ActionSA to submit no-confidence motion against Thapelo Amad

He said the MEC was also deeply concerned about coalition governments in the province and that he believed there was a need for a framework to govern the coalitions.

“The MEC is also in consultation to look at the framework of actually regulating how these coalitions will operate,” he added.

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Multiparty coalition – 135 seats

• DA – 71
• ActionSA – 44
• Inkatha Freedom Party – 7
• Freedom Front Plus – 4
• African Christian Democratic Party – 4
• United Independent Movement – 1

Government of Local Unity (141 seats)

• ANC – 91
• EFF – 29
• Patriotic Alliance – 8
• Al-Jama-ah – 3
• African Independent Congress – 2
• African Heart Congress – 1
• African People’s Convention – 1
• African Transformation Movement – 1
• Congress of the People – 1
• Good – 1
• Pan Africanist Congress of Azania – 1
• United Democratic Movement – 1

– lungam@citizen.co.za