‘Your city is a mess,’ Hanekom tells Mashaba

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba and Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom are currently engaged in a twar.

It began when Mashaba tweeted his criticism of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to appoint Deputy President David Mabuza to lead a special cabinet committee to sort out the ongoing crisis at energy utility Eskom.

Mashaba noted that Ramaphosa was appointed by former president Jacob Zuma to do the same in 2014 and asked if the president was “playing some games with us”.

READ MORE: Mabuza can’t be trusted to handle Eskom energy crisis, says DA

Hanekom took exception to this, calling on the mayor to “just focus a bit more on your responsibilities and mandate”.

“The city is in a mess, under your leadership,” Hanekom alleged, continuing that he would be “Happy to work with you to help sort it out”.

Mashaba quickly clapped back, accusing Hanekom of “protecting” Zuma and saying we would have a better country today if he hadn’t.

“I really wonder if you do sleep after destroying our country like that,” Mashaba said.

Herman, it would be so good if you could just focus a bit more on your responsibilities and mandate. The city is in a mess, under your leadership. Happy to work with you to help sort it out. https://t.co/Dqsbt75yX8

— Derek Hanekom (@Derek_Hanekom) February 15, 2019

Derek, if you did not focus on protecting former President Jacob Zuma, Ikandla & looting of State resources by the Guptas, we would be having a better country today. I really wonder if you do sleep after destroying our country like that https://t.co/NTBtGPJzkd

— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) February 19, 2019

There is a history regarding the animosity between Mashaba and Hanekom.

The mayor penned an open letter to the minister on News24, challenging him to get his hands dirty and help clean up the city.

This, in turn, was a reaction to a tweet from Hanekom taking the DA to task over litter in the city. The minister posted a picture of garbage strewn over the Jozi streets, which he said was on Albertina Sisulu Road. He then noted that the municipality is under DA control and asked if the DA, and their “partner” in the city – the EFF – could do better.

READ MORE: Mashaba challenges Mboweni, Hanekom to clean the streets of Joburg

Mashaba claimed he had sent Hanekom letters and that the minister didn’t respond.

“Given the fanfare with which your observations about the state of cleanliness of the Johannesburg Inner City was received on social media recently, I waited with bated breath for your response to my letters on the subject,” Mashaba said.

“In all honesty, I thought you would be the first to respond given your new-found celebrity status arising from your incorrect observations of the city that I run. But nothing!” he alleged.

The spat between Mayor Herman Mashaba and Minister of Tourism Derrick Hanekom is reaching "fever" pitch.
Is electioneering this bad? I am just so over it 😓 https://t.co/baRy6VpZeG

— Palesa – Calling for the end of Corruption (@PSeretlo) February 19, 2019

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