The community has expressed mixed reactions to the resignation of Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba.
The reason that was most predominantly publicised for his resignation from the DA was the election of Helen Zille as the party’s Federal Council Chairman.
Mashaba elaborated on his reasons in an informative and emotional statement on the evening of 21 October. In his statement, he mentioned his reasons for both joining the DA and accepting the offer to be a mayoral candidate. He explained that he joined the DA because he wanted to take a stand against the corruption, failure, and arrogance of the ANC. These reasons, paired with his deep desire to save South Africa, fuelled his choice to stand as a mayoral candidate.
Read the initial article here:
https://www.citizen.co.za/roodepoort-record/2019/10/21/herman-mashaba-has-officially-announced-his-resignation-as-executive-mayor-of-the-city-of-johannesburg/
A phrase that Mashaba is known for is, “When Johannesburg works, South Africa works,” but his entire statement held an undertone of disappointment and hopelessness as he explained that he no longer sees the DA as a party that can help him save South Africa.
In his statement, Mashaba said, “I am gravely concerned that the DA I signed up to, is not the DA that has emerged out of this weekend’s Federal Council.” He expanded on this, saying that along with his concern for the DA, he is concerned for the future of South African politics.
Mashaba referred to various aspects of the Federal Council Meeting, and what he described as ‘short-sighted thinking’ about the reasons for the DA’s electoral decline. He said that the current position taken by the council shows no perception of what Johannesburg residents want for their City.
Mashaba described Helen Zille’s election as chairperson as a victory for the DA members who oppose his beliefs.
He said that he cannot stand with the DA as they do not see that the country is more unequal today than it was in 1994, and continued by saying, “I cannot reconcile myself with a group of people who believe that race is irrelevant in the discussion of inequality and poverty in South Africa in 2019.”
Mashaba said that the DA has a patriotic duty to unseat the ANC and save the country before it is too late, and the party does not currently realise that.
He referred to his partnership with the DA as difficult, saying that he had been undermined and criticised from day one.
Mashaba’s resignation from the DA will take effect on 27 November at the request of Party Leadership so that they can identify a new candidate. His resignation from the DA also means that he is required to step down as Executive Mayor for the City of Johannesburg, effective on the same date.
He explained his decision-making process as torturous, but he needed to stand up for his beliefs. Mashaba concluded his statement by thanking Johannesburg’s residents for the honour of his position, and said nothing would ever give him as much pride and joy as seeing the residents benefit from the dignity of service delivery that they have been denied over so many years.
“I am now in a position where I am forced to choose between my party and my country. As a patriot, I will always choose my country first.”
