The DA’s Mpho Phalatse has been elected as mayor of the City of Joburg.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), Action SA and Economic Freedom Fighters stayed true to their word to take the largest metro in the country out of the hands of the African National Congress (ANC).
On November 22, the inaugural City of Johannesburg Municipal Council Meeting was held at the Brixton Multipurpose Centre where all things went the DA’s way. They secured all three positions of the executive mayor, speaker of council and chief whip. It was the battle of the Mpho’s for the executive mayor’s role with Dr Mpho Phalatse of the DA emerging victorious. The City of Johannesburg returned to the hands of the DA as Phalatse garnered 144 of the votes while the ANC’S Mpho Moerane got 121. Phalatse now becomes the first woman to be elected mayor of the City in the country’s democratic dispensation.
Prior to the vote for mayor, Vasco da Gama was elected as the speaker of council. He was up against the ANC’s Eunice Mgcina. Da Gama received 148 votes while the outgoing MMC of Health and Social Development received 118 votes. Da Gama returns to the role he occupied when the DA first won the municipality in 2016 under the leadership of Herman Mashaba who now leads Action SA. Mashaba withdrew from the mayoral race stating that he did not want to give the ANC a chance to return to power by splitting votes. Action SA ultimately voted for the DA candidate following the collapse of their coalition talks among several parties.
The night ended with another DA victory as Tyrell Meyers was elected as the new chief whip of council. The work now begins as the City and its services fall into the hands of the DA. Unless the parties that voted for them change their minds or objectives, they will be in charge for the next five years. Members of the Mayoral Committee will be announced soon under Phalatse’s leadership.
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