Newly elected Johannesburg mayor Jolidee Matongo has not made wholesale changes to the mayoral committee that served under his predecessor, the late Geoff Makhubo, as he retained most of the MMCs, with the crucial finance portfolio going to his political party the ANC.
A mayoral committee is a team of councillors — called members of the mayoral committee (MMC) — appointed by the executive mayor to assist the mayor in the execution of his duties, by among other things, advising the mayor on decisions and on reports from standing committees in council.
Each MMC is responsible for running their respective portfolios and are accountable to the council and mayor, who chairs the mayoral committee. If the mayor vacates office, the mayoral committee dissolves.
Matongo was elected unopposed as Joburg’s next mayor during a special council meeting on Tuesday. This after the country’s biggest-budget province was left without an executive mayor after the death of Makhubo, who succumbed to Covid-19 complications on July 9.
After his election on Tuesday, Matongo said there should not be a lot of changes to the 10-member mayoral committee that served under Makhubo.
Following his swearing-in as executive mayor on Wednesday, Matongo announced his 10-member mayoral committee, with only the finance and economic development portfolios assigned new MMCs.
Matongo, who served as finance MMC under Makhubo, appointed ANC councillor Matshidiso Mfikoe to succeed him in the portfolio, while COPE councillor Thomas Mofokeng replaced Lawrence Khoza as head of the economic development portfolio.
The rest of the councillors retained their portfolios in the mayoral committee. They are (ANC) Mpho Moerane (environment and infrastructure services), (IFP) Mlungisi Mabaso (housing), (IFP) Helen Makhuba (transport), (ANC) Eunice Mgcina (health and social development), (African Independent Congress) Margaret Arnolds (community development), (Al Jama-ah) Thapelo Amad (development planning), (ANC) Mally Mokoena (public safety), and (ANC) Loyiso Masuku (group corporate shared services).
“The new list of MMCs, which was a result of consultations with the ongoing GLU [government of local unity] partnership in the city, contains no surprises as majority of members remained unchanged in the portfolios they were assigned by the late executive mayor Geoffrey Makhubo,” mayoral spokesperson Mlimandlela Ndamase said.
Ndamase said the choice of MMCs is in support of the “theme of continuation with the implementation of the GLU’s priorities, which are aligned to the Joburg Growth and Development Strategy 2040”.
Arnolds told Business Day that the mayoral committee was the best team to take the metro forward. “I think it’s good that the mayor has kept most of the MMCs in their portfolios. It’s continuity. That was a very good move on the mayor’s part because the current MMCs already know what the plans are for their respective portfolios.”
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