Home News City of Jo’burg to elect new mayor – here are the candidates

City of Jo’burg to elect new mayor – here are the candidates

by Zahid Jadwat

The City of Johannesburg will elect a new mayor when Council meets on Friday morning. Incumbent mayor Mpho Phalatse and the DA-led coalition were ousted after a successful motion-of-no-confidence.

Three motions were put forward by the African Transformation Movement (ATM), African Independent Congress (AIC) and Al Jama-ah. It passed by 140 in favour to 129 against. There were no abstentions.

The residents of South Africa’s economic hub have been thrust from pillar-to-post as numerous coalitions faltered and failed since the African National Congress (ANC) lost a majority in 2016. The latest ousting came just over a year since Phalatse was appointed the city’s Number One.

Council will meet on Friday morning to elect Phalatse’s successor. A multiparty band comprising of the ANC, PA and possibly the EFF are believed to have thrown their weight behind Al Jama-ah’s Thapelo Amad. ActionSA will field Funzi Ngobeni as their preferred candidate, while the DA will again put Phalatse forward.

 

SMread: EFF, opposition parties to back Al Jama-ah in Jo’burg


Thapelo Amad for mayor?

Thapelo Amad could become Johannesburg’s first Muslim mayor, should enough councillors vote in his favour. He previously served as Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Development Planning. This would also be the first time Al Jama-ah occupied a mayoral seat.

Speaking at Council after Phalatse’s ousting, ANC Gauteng Provincial Secretary TK Nciza confirmed that his party and the EFF would back Amad as the new mayor.

“It is in our best interest to service those people [residents of Johannesburg], even if it means we go and look for people that we’ll be able to work with. We are happy that we have brought Al Jama-ah, which we believe will cut across even to other races and so forth,” he said.

“We believe that, ourselves and the Economic Freedom Fighters, we have found each other once more,” he added.



Together, the ANC, EFF and PA occupy 131 seats in Council.

 

SMread: Questions arise on South Africa’s neutrality on Russia-Ukrain conflict


Mpho Phalatse 

Phalatse was elected as Mayor of Johannesburg following the 2021 municipal elections. She faced subsequent motions-of-no-confidence, one of which was later deemed unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid by the Johannesburg High Court towards the end of 2022.

The DA is expected to put her forward for the position once again, but is unlikely to muster sufficient support since negotiations with ActionSA fell through this week. The party, which has been locked in a protracted battle for the City with ANC since 2016, holds 71 seats.

Following her ousting, Phalatse said, ‘I feel sad for our residents. I feel sad for the city … the city was in good hands. I am relieved, however, compared to the last time this was done legally, that the rules of council were followed. I am concerned about the plans we had”.

 

SMread: DA march to Luthuli House as a last resort


Funzi Ngobeni 

Funzi Ngobeni is ActionSA’s candidate for the mayoral position. He most recently served as the MMC for Transport.

The party had eventually agreed to back Phalatse in Thursday’s motion-of-no-confidence, though it accused the DA of being “arrogant”. It accused the party of neglecting their mayor and betraying the multi-party coalition.

ActionSA’s Sthembelo Majola told EWN: “The Democratic Alliance and their federal executive is squarely responsible for Phalatse’s removal [by] having blocked the multi-party coalition deal formulated last week and agreed upon by negotiators of all parties, including DA negotiators.

ActionSA has 44 seats in Council.


Related Videos