By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former Johannesburg Mayor Thapelo Amad has been sworn-in as the city’s new Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Community Development.
Speaker of Council Margaret Arnolds presided over the swearing-in on Tuesday, 20 January.
Amad’s appointment gives effect to a resolution taken by the Minority Governing Parties (MGP) on 13 October 2025, in which the minority parties collectively resolved to recall the former MMC and appoint Amad to the Community Development portfolio.
The MPG is a collective of ten smaller parties represented in the Johannesburg Council, currently aligned with the ANC-led coalition government.
Under the current power-sharing agreement, the group is entitled to one seat on the Mayoral Committee.
The transition has been marked by internal friction and delays.
In October last year, the MPG passed a resolution to recall the previous MMC, Tebogo Nkonkou, citing poor performance.
However, Nkonkou challenged the group’s authority, stating he did not recognise the MPG as a legitimate structure.
The matter was resolved on Friday, 16 January, when Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero officially removed Nkonkou from the committee and appointed Amad as his successor.
MGP Secretary Yongama Zigebe said the delay undermined coalition governance at local level.
“While we welcome the eventual implementation of this resolution, the prolonged delay in giving effect to a clear and properly taken coalition decision created unnecessary uncertainty and undermined the principle of local coalition autonomy, “said Zigebe.
He stressed that decisions taken by coalition partners at local government level must be respected and implemented timeously to ensure stability, accountability and effective governance.