The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and a band of smaller parties will back Thapelo Amad from Al Jama-ah for mayor in Johannesburg should the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Mpho Phalatse be ousted on Thursday.
Phalatse faces three motions-of-no confidence after three minority parties, including the African Transformation Movement, African Independent Congress and Al Jama-ah each tabled a motion. She labelled the renewed efforts to remove her as plots to bring about instability in the country’s biggest metro.
Opposition parties had agreed to field a candidate from a minority party should Phalatse be ousted, though they remained divided on who that may be. Sources have told Salaamedia the EFF, together with the Patriotic Alliance (PA), intended to back the former MMC to succeed her.
Negotiations between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and coalition partner, ActionSA, failed this week. Political commentator Anisa Mazimpaka said the DA’s reluctance to back their mayor could very well mean she’d lose her job.
“We’re now not only talking about the strength of the regrouping outside from opposition benches, but we are now also talking about the fractions and the friction that exist within the Multiparty Government,” she said, before adding that Phalatse has “been singled out by the Democratic Alliance.”
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Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC)’s Johannesburg chairperson Dada Morero said the party would support a candidate from a minority party. However, he said, the candidate was yet to be determined before council resumed.
“All those minority opposition parties, together with the ANC, together with the EFF and the Patriotic Alliance will be rallying their voice behind a minority mayor,” said Mazimpaka. “Politics is a numbers game, but it’s about how you play these numbers; it’s about how you get the job done so we will be seeing a mayor from the minority.”
The odds of an Al Jama-ah mayor are slim, though, with just over 40 votes to back their candidate even with the EFF’s support and that of smaller parties.