By Daanyaal Matthews
The Mayor of Johannesburg, Kabelo Gwamanda, has experienced continuous criticism as most parties and organizations have seemingly denounced his tenure, calling for an immediate replacement. Most concerns against the mayor revolve around incompetence, with his detractors arguing that his tenure has been fraught with an inability to lead and a worsening governance crisis.
The only political party supporting Mayor Gwamanda seems to be his own party Al Jama-ah, who have continuously stated that he would retain his position and have called the accusations against the mayor as ‘sly and deplorable’. The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has also called for the mayor to step down.
According to Amos Monyela, Chairperson of Cosatu in Gauteng, this was a somewhat inevitable outcome given the lack of experience of Mayor Gwamanda and his party.
“For us, it was a bizarre decision that was taken to put a mayor who has no political credentials and a party that does not have political credentials together to give them an opportunity to run the biggest city like the City of Johannesburg. We think that may have made a compromised position, but that has come back to citizens of Johannesburg,” argued Monyela.
From the perspective of Monyela and his trade union, the next appointee, whom he argued is desperately needed, needs to be someone of competence and representing the will of the people in election results, arguing:
“What must be done is that the bigger parties must take responsibility and among themselves elect a mayor who has political backing from a bigger party.”
Monyela further contended this new individual should come from the ANC and that it should institute programs that will better assist denizens of the metro.
“COSATU supports the African National Congress to take over, and, having taken over, they must be ready to put in programs that are going to help citizens of Johannesburg,” stresses the Chairperson of COSATU in Gauteng.
VOC News
Photo: @cityofjoburgza
