By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi says City of Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda will survive the looming motion of no confidence against him.
Speaking in Boksburg on Tuesday at an ANC local government summit, Lesufi said Gwamanda was elected because the ANC chose to vote against the DA.
The two-day summit seeks to engage all key stakeholders in local government on the challenges facing municipalities and to develop a plan focused on improving the delivery of services in all Gauteng municipalities.
The ANC, EFF and DA have indicated they would not vote in favour of the no-confidence motion. The parties hold 191 of the 270 council seats.
The Al Jama-ah councillor was elected with the support of the ANC, EFF, and some of the minority parties in the council.
Johannesburg is home to six million residents. The city is struggling financially and its road infrastructure is collapsing. Rolling blackouts and water cuts that continue for days are now regular occurrences.
Lesufi admits the coalition arrangement is far from perfect, but says they will “crush” any attempts to remove Gwamanda from the top job.
ActionSA will table a motion of no confidence against Gwamanda following allegations of fraud levelled against him.
Lesufi said the ANC is ready for ActionSA’s motion of no confidence.
“We are asking our comrades in Johannesburg, to allow ActionSA which wants to auction our country to table that motion.
Lesufi further told delegates that the ruling party did not vote for the disgraced former Tshwane Mayor, Murunwa Makwarela, but voted against the DA.
Makwarela was later removed as the city’s mayor and as a councillor after the High Court in Pretoria confirmed that his insolvency clearance certificate was fake.
“So anyone who wants to accuse the ANC of voting for Makwarela is wrong, we voted against the DA and we are proud.”
“The only problem was that Makwarela was supposed to be a Reverend and was not a Christian enough, to be honest with us,” said Lesufi.
Lesufi assured delegates that the mandate to remove the DA in all municipalities is progressing well.
He said the party was now in a better place than it was after the 2021 municipal elections, in which it lost majorities in 11 municipalities in the province, including Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
Lesufi outlined four non-negotiable areas the party would prioritise: job creation, crime prevention, provision of service delivery and putting an end to load shedding in the province.
The local government summit continues on Wednesday. It is expected to debate the ANC’s coalition strategy as the country gears up for the 2024 national elections.