Embattled Al Jama-ah councillor Thapelo Amad on Monday night resigned as mayor of SA’s biggest metro of Johannesburg, a few hours before city councillors were due to vote in a no-confidence motion against him.
Amad told journalists his resignation had “nothing to do with the public opinion on my capacity to lead”.
ANC Gauteng chair and premier Panyaza Lesufi said the political management of the government of local unity, comprising political parties such as the ANC, Al Jama-ah, COPE, UDM, PAC, ATM, AIC, PA, APC and GOOD, met to discuss an urgent matter.
“In the meeting, Al Jama-ah presented the resignation letter of executive mayor Thapelo Amad. After lengthy deliberations and consultation, the government of local unity accepted the resignation letter of our executive mayor,” Lesufi said.
He said the coalition remained intact and would defend motions against the speaker and chief whip of council. “In the next few days, the government of local unity will meet to submit a new name as our candidate for the position of mayor,” Lesufi said.
The motion of no confidence in the council speaker Colleen Makhubele and chief whip Sthembiso Zungu still stands and councillors will still debate and vote on the motion to have them removed as well.
The motions are sponsored by the DA and ActionSA, the second- and third-largest political parties in the council, respectively.
ActionSA national chair Michael Beaumont on Monday evening told Newzroom Afrika that Amad’s resignation was ducking the inevitable.
Funzi Ngobeni, Gauteng chair of ActionSA, which has 44 seats in the council, told Business Day on Monday that Amad was not equal to the task of running Joburg and delivering services to its 6-million residents.
“His knowledge of council and municipal processes has been found wanting. We believe he is also unable to lead the mayoral committee. It looks like, from where we are sitting, he is unable to lead that committee and that affects service delivery as well,” Ngobeni said.
DA deputy federal council chair Thomas Walters said: “The DA submitted motions of no confidence for the executive mayor, speaker and chief whip. This is part of holding the individuals publicly accountable for their obvious misrule and ensures that it is publicly made apparent.
“Service delivery has not been prioritised. A prime example was a recent self-exposé by the mayor when he indicated his involvement in procuring a R9.5bn loan which was not passed in council. The motions will be successful eventually, not necessarily now,” he said.
Walters said the DA would have a caucus meeting to decide on whether it would put up candidates, stressing: “This cannot become another destabilisation and rush to fill positions. We are committed to replacing ANC/EFF misrule with better candidates, not just simply replacing them. That will be bad for the city and its residents. It is not an opportunity to replace the ANC as it is made out to be in some circles.”
Margaret Arnolds, councillor of the two-seat AIC and chair of the minority parties in the Joburg council, said minority parties would not support no-confidence votes from the opposition. “I can’t convince councillors to support an opposition motion against one of our own,” she said.
Makhubele did not respond immediately to questions sent to her.
Amad’s resignation effectively signals the third time after the local government elections two years ago that power has changed hands in the metro.
Coalition troubles
Since the local government elections in November 2021, the key Gauteng metros of Tshwane, Joburg and Ekurhuleni have been governed by coalitions. The stability of these coalitions has always been in question, with power frequently changing hands at the expense of service delivery.
In Ekurhuleni, DA councillor Tania Campbell was removed through a motion of no confidence in March and replaced by Sivuyile Ngodwana, a councillor of the AIC, which has three seats in the 224-seat Ekurhuleni council.
Ngodwana, who has said his priorities as mayor would include “pruning trees”, is expected to deliver his state of the city address in Germiston on Tuesday.
In Tshwane, a coalition made up of the DA, ActionSA, Freedom Front Plus and IFP retained control of the metro in March after the DA councillor Randall Williams resigned as executive mayor in February.
“The focus is on positions,” said political analyst Levy Ndou.
It would not be the last time a motion of no confidence was debated in the Joburg council. The tabling of frivolous motions of no confidence would only stop if a clear, “legal framework” is adopted, said Ndou.
Several polls, including one by the ANC, indicate that the governing party — which has been rocked by governance, finance and administrative challenges — may be forced into a national government coalition after the 2024 general election as it is expected to get less than 50% of the vote.
The Joburg metro is no exception to the instability brought by a coalition arrangement.
In Joburg, DA councillor Mpho Phalatse was voted out through a motion of no confidence in January and replaced by Amad, a councillor of the Al Jama-ah party, which has three seats in the 270-seat council.
In October 2022, DA councillor Tyrell Meyers was removed through a no-confidence vote as chief whip of council and replaced by ANC councillor Zungu.
In September 2022, DA councillor Vasco da Gama was removed as Joburg council speaker through a no-confidence vote and replaced by lone COPE councillor Makhubele.
Update: April 24 2023
This article has been updated to include Thapelo Amad’s resignation.
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