Africa-Press – South-Africa. The DA wants Mpho Phalatse back as the mayor of Johannesburg.
Phalatse will stand as the party’s mayoral candidate on 2 May when a special sitting will be held in the Johannesburg council to elect a new mayor for the country’s economic hub.
Fierce contestation for political power in the council will take centre stage this week after Al Jama-ah councillor Thapelo Amad resigned as Johannesburg mayor on Monday.
His resignation followed criticism of his leadership capabilities.
He had begun losing favour with some of the coalition partners in the ANC-EFF-Patriotic Alliance political bloc that voted him into office in January.
Amad’s resignation was announced by ANC Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi, who has been leading the coalition negotiations after ActionSA tabled a no-confidence motion in Amad.
Lesufi said the ANC-led coalition partnership would meet in the next few days to decide on a mayoral candidate.
Coalition leaders told News24 that a councillor from a minority party may be picked to replace Amad.
Meanwhile, in welcoming Amad’s resignation, the DA said it was ready to field Phalatse to again take a chance at leading the City.
Phalatse had a tempestuous term as mayor since her election in November 2021. She was ousted in a second motion of no confidence in January.
The DA said Phalatse had the experience to lead Johannesburg.
DA Gauteng leader Fred Nel said on Tuesday:
It is unclear where the DA will get the majority of the votes to ensure Phalatse’s election.
With its numbers in the council, the ANC, with the EFF, PA and several other smaller political parties, holds the majority, which will see its candidate elected.
The DA had already angered critical political allies in the Johannesburg council when party leader John Steenhuisen refused to negotiate with the Patriotic Alliance, saying the party had to end its ties with the ANC.
ActionSA already indicated that the DA’s decision was hypocritical of the party’s previous stance on working with various political parties to vote out the ANC and the EFF.
ActionSA Gauteng leader Funzi Ngobeni said the party would not give up on collaborating with other political parties.
NOTE: The story has been updated to remove a line that ActionSA will field its own mayoral candidate.
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