Africa-Press – South-Africa. Quoting a bible scripture, the newly elected mayor of Johannesburg, Kabelo Gwamanda, says his election is an act of God.
Gwamanda, an Al Jama-ah councillor, was elected, with 139 votes, at a special council sitting on Friday. He was opposed by the former mayor of Joburg, Mpho Phalatse, who received 68 votes, while ActionSA councillor Funzi Ngobeni received 59 votes.
Gwamanda’s party has only three seats in the Joburg council, but the ANC and EFF ensured his election as part of a collective deal to take over Gauteng’s hung municipalities.
The EFF and the ANC decided that minority party members should hold the mayoral seat, while they share the majority of the mayoral committee positions.
In Gwamanda’s acceptance speech, he said he was prepared to serve the residents of Joburg, adding that his nomination was God’s will and he felt a sense of duty to take on the role.
“It is not a mere title of glamour, prestige, celebrity status that most of us like to believe,” Gwamanda said.
Gwamanda said he was born in Soweto – and he was proof that, with every generation, there was a revolution. He said a change in leadership should not lead to service delivery being affected. Gwamanda announced his mayoral committee, which is dominated by ANC, EFF and Patriotic Alliance councillors.
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