Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda delivers the State of the City Address at the Johannesburg council chambers in Braamfontein, 6 June 2023. Pic Neil McCartney
The clock is ticking for Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda who could be booted out of office should the African National Congress (ANC) and Action SA come to an agreement.
According to Action SA leader Herman Mashaba, a major announcement will be made soon concerning changes in the coalition arrangement in the City of Johannesburg.
Mashaba told The Citizen this week that the ANC had approached Action SA to form a working relationship to ensure stability and the success of the municipality.
He said the final details were being finalised.
“They have engaged us and we are talking to them to see how we can assist them to stabilise this municipality. So, an announcement will be made soon,” Mashaba said.
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Mashaba said the arrangement will not include the Democratic Alliance (DA) as some political analysts predicted.
He criticised the DA for being willing to go into an agreement nationally with the PA and other parties but not willing to do the same in Johannesburg.
“We have even said to the DA, ‘Let’s not subject the people of Johannesburg to an EFF-ANC government’. They flatly refused, so when ANC approached us, we thought we should put our personal feelings aside,” he said.
Mashaba said the party told the ANC that ActionSA would only form an agreement with them if Gwamanda did not continue as the mayor of the City of Johannesburg.
“We said to the ANC that they have to put in a competent mayor and Kabelo cannot be that person. That’s one of the conditions we put to the ANC,” he said.
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Since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) there seemed to be tension between the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Johannesburg, with the EFF failing to vote on certain issues in support of the ANC.
In an interview with the SABC, EFF leader Julius Malema said he was not part of talks with the ANC or Action SA.
“They can go ahead, we do not have any arrangement with Action SA or anyone of that sort. We don’t have an arrangement with the ANC,” he said.
Malema said the EFF would support the ANC against the DA should a motion of no confidence be proposed in Gauteng.
