By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Al Jama-ah councillor Thapelo Amad has been elected the new executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg.
This follows the ouster of the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Mpho Phalatse from office on Thursday.
Amad received 138 votes while Phalatse received 81 and Funzi Ngobeni from Action SA received 46. There was one spoilt ballot.
The newly elected mayor received the backing of the ANC, EFF, Patriotic Alliance and minority parties including the African Independent Congress, Al Jama-ah, African Transformation Movement and COPE.
Al Jama-ah has three seats in the city council.
“I am humbled by this opportunity to lead the City of Johannesburg and I would like to thank all the support that was rendered by councillors and I would like to request that the support continues… This is a bigger task given to me and I believe that with unity we will defeat,” said Amad.
He said he made history by being elected as the first Muslim mayor of South Africa’s economic hub.
“It has nothing to do with the religion. There are no racial lines. We are humanity and we need to serve.”
Amad is poised to serve as “interim” mayor until the ANC/EFF conclude their negotiations on how to configure their co-governing strategy in the Joburg and Ekurhuleni metros.
Amad, born and bred in Soweto, is a member of the Muslim minority political party and an imam.