By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
ActionSA says it will submit motions of no confidence inCity of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Thapelo Amad, Council Speaker Colleen Makhubele, and others on Tuesday.
ActionSA Caucus Gauteng leader, Funzile Ngobeni, said Amad, which he labelled as an expedient candidate between the ANC and EFF’s coalition of doom, has time and time again proven to be woefully ill-equipped and unable to articulate a coherent plan of action and vision for the City
Amad recently made controversial comments about what he claimed was a R9.5-billion loan a private company offered to the City.
He told SABC’s Morning Live that he could not explain the terms of the “loan” in detail or why a private company would give the City such a large sum of money.
But he later backtracked and said it was an example of proposals the City had received for growth and development.
However, it angered coalition partners, with PA leader, Gayton McKenzie, threatened to pull out of its coalition with the ANC in Johannesburg.
The party’s contention seemed to be premised on unhappiness about mayoral committee appointments in Ekurhuleni. If the PA pulls out of the coalition, the ANC and EFF could be vulnerable in terms of its council numbers in the City.
ActionSA will today (Tuesday) submit motions of no confidence in the City of Johannesburg puppet mayor Thapelo Amad, the dishonest Speaker Colleen Makhubele and other office bearers who were all appointed through crooked dealings between the ANC’s Gauteng Provincial Chairperson, Panyaza Lesufi, and the EFF”, said Ngobeni.
Service delivery in the city has seemingly reached a breaking point in the city, with heaps of rubbish piling on some streets in the CBD.
“While political differences may have characterised the tenure of previous mayors and speakers it would be safe to say that residents and businesses are embarrassed by what the ANC and EFF have served up to lead the economic hub of our country.
“ActionSA is firm in our belief that the people of Johannesburg voted for change in the 2021 municipal elections by drastically reducing the ANC’s majority, and the mayor, speaker and other office bearers’ elections were due to back-handed dealings by ANC’s Gauteng Province Chairperson Panyaza and the EFF.”
Ngobeni adds that council speaker Makhubele excuse of citing ill health whilst attending COPE’s internal squabbles in Tshwane is inexcusable.
“Speaker Makhubele used ‘ill health’ as an excuse not to attend to her duties in the City of Johannesburg council, but was spotted in the City of Tshwane on the same day where she is seen attending to internal COPE party squabbles. This is simply inexcusable, and the people of Johannesburg deserve better.”
The party expects the motions of no confidence to be served at the next council meeting in two weeks’ time.