Pressing service delivery issues relating to the City of Joburg’s cash flow crisis, combating fraud and corruption and implementing administrative reforms are among newly elected executive mayor Thapelo Amad’s priorities.
Amad is Gauteng provincial chair and councillor of the Muslim minority party, Al Jama-ah. He won the race for the mayoral chain of SA’s biggest metro with 138 votes, trouncing fellow councillors ActionSA caucus leader Funzi Ngobeni and DA councillor and former mayor Mpho Phalatse, who received 46 and 81 votes respectively.
There was one spoilt vote. In total 266 councillors cast their votes, said speaker Colleen Makhubele.
Amad comes in as mayor as the city is battling a cash flow crisis, which outgoing finance MMC Julie Suddaby said arose “from the council’s refusal to approve the R2bn loan from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). Interventions have been identified to enhance revenue collection and to curtail unnecessary expenditure. These will bear fruit in the next two months.”
It was feared that the crisis could lead to the city failing to pay service providers or salaries for its 32,000-strong workforce, or honour its service delivery obligations to its 6-million residents. Attempts by the council to pass a R2bn short-term loan facility from the DBSA failed late in 2022 after the ANC and other smaller parties voted against the report.
In his acceptance speech on Friday, Amad, who is expected to be sworn in on Monday after which he’ll announce his mayoral team, said issues of service delivery would take precedence in his administration. He previously served as the metro’s MMC of development planning.
Amad said his priorities as mayor of SA’s biggest metro included addressing the city’s financial challenges, implementing administrative reforms, and widening community participation in the running of the metro. The city has an infrastructure backlog of R300bn, according to Phalatse's estimates.
“I’m humbled by this opportunity to lead the City of Joburg,” he said, thanking councillors for supporting him.
“This is a bigger task given to me, I believe that with unity we will [win],” Amad said, stressing that his election as mayor “marks history in SA, particularly in Joburg, being the first Muslim mayor of the biggest metro in the country. It’s got nothing to do with religion. We are humanity. We need to serve.”
He said communities were in a state of hopelessness, anger and resentment due to the socioeconomic crises that have led to a steep rise in the cost of living.
“We must work with the broader society [and] foster partnerships,” the mayor said. “We will seek to make sure that basic services [such as] refuse collection, the filling of potholes, water loss, sewage spillage are addressed.”
Amad said fixing the city’s finances would require residents to contribute to the rebuilding of the metro by paying for municipal services. The mayor wants a capable workforce that is fit for purpose and responsive to people’s needs. “We must listen and be attentive to what our people are saying out there ... [we need to] go back to local government basics.”
Gauteng premier and ANC provincial chair Panyaza Lesufi said Amad’s election was a signal to other municipalities that had been going through difficulties, and that his victory would stabilise the Joburg metro.
Energy, jobs
He called on the new mayor to fix the energy crisis and create opportunities and jobs for the people. “Most importantly, ensure there is service delivery: collect rubbish, clean our streets, make sure water flows so that people can drink water. There is no single political party that has the birthright to control our municipalities,” Lesufi said.
PA president and Central Karoo District mayor Gayton McKenzie said to Amad: “I will advise you, what I’ve learnt in the short space I’ve been mayor: put a deadline to your promises. Nothing inspires, motivates, pushes [you] like putting a deadline. It’s easy to make promises. When I came in [as mayor] I said I will eradicate the bucket system in 100 days.
“By the 77 day I couldn’t sleep, I felt like waking up at 12 o’clock to go and fix that task. People have lost hope in coalitions. This coalition can restore that hope.”
Council speaker Colleen Makhubele said: “We are going to kick-start the city. We are going to kick-start it, come hell or high water. One of the priorities is to provide oversight on the executive mayor. If he doesn’t kick-start the city, as speaker, with the help of the leaders here, we are going to kick him out, bring in a mayor that will come in and serve the residents of the city.”
Makhubele, however, said the minority parties had “so much faith in him, we know that he can deliver, we’ve seen how he conducts himself in council. We’ve seen his heart, his passion for the people and for service delivery.”
She moved to assure residents that there would be no service delivery disruptions due to Amad’s election. “We are strengthening service delivery. This mayor ... is going to attend to your issues.”
Instability
Amad succeeded Phalatse who was removed through a vote of no confidence on Thursday, having served as mayor since November 2021. Her removal highlights the instability of coalitions rocked by infighting and are, according to political pundits, more about clinging to power than delivering services to the people.
Al Jama-ah has three seats in the 270-seat Joburg council, with the ANC accounting for 91, followed by the DA with 71 seats, ActionSA 44, EFF 29, PA 8, IFP 7, VF Plus 4, ACDP 3, AIC 2, and one seat each for AHC, APC, ATM, COPE, GOOD, PAC, UDM and UIM.
Johannesburg, with the cities of Ekurhuleni and Tshwane, have been led by DA-led multiparty coalitions since the 2021 municipal elections, when the ANC’s support fell below 50% for the first time.
The City of Joburg has a population of about 6-million, a budget of R77.3bn for the 2022/2023 financial year, and contributes about 15.6% to GDP.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.