The Democratic Alliance (DA) wants the City of Johannesburg council to be dissolved and is calling for fresh elections to enable voters to make a fresh state for the embattled metro.
This comes as council has convened to elect a new mayor after Kabelo Gwamanda handed in his resignation letter earlier this week.
DA WANTS JOHANNESBURG COUNCIL TO BE DISSOLVED
DA caucus leader in Johannesburg Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said that given the merry-go-round of mayors who have tried and failed to hold together Johannesburg’s unwieldy and ungovernable coalitions, it is time to recognise that the 2021 local election delivered such a fragmented result that it has proved almost impossible to put together a workable government.
Kayser-Echeozonjoku said when this kind of impasse arises in other democracies, voters are often given a chance to rectify the situation in a new election, and they believe the same must happen in Johannesburg to stop the further unraveling.
She said that currently, Johannesburg’s residents have to watch from the sidelines as service delivery continues to crumble. Many have no water, electricity, or refuse removal.
“The province must act when a City can no longer deliver basic services. It will not help to put Johannesburg under the administration of an ANC-run province, so the only viable remedy is dissolution.
“Only by putting power back into the hands of the city’s residents can a new council be elected that will be more responsive to residents,” she said.
HOW MANY MAYORS HAS THE METRO HAD?
Since 2021, the City of Johannesburg has had seven mayors with the ANC’s Dada Morero set to be elected for the second time.
Here are some of the city’s previous first citizens:
| MAYOR | TERM | PARTY |
| Herman Mashaba | 2016 – 2019 | DA |
| Geoffrey Makhubo | 2019 – 2021 | ANC |
| Jolidee Matongo | 2021 | ANC |
| Mpho Moerane | 2021 | ANC |
| Mpho Phalatse | 2021 – 2022 | DA |
| Dada Morero | 2022 | ANC |
| Thapelo Amad | 2023 | AL JAMA-AH |
| Kabelo Gwamanda | 2023 – 2024 | AL JAMA-AH |
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DA’S CALL FOR FRESH ELECTIONS IN NJOHANNESBURG?
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