New Joburg mayor plans to prioritise service delivery

Newly-elected City of Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Amad has promised to prioritise service delivery, fix potholes, stabilise the city's finances as well as rooting out corruption.

On Friday, Amad beat opponents, former mayor and DA councillor Mpho Phalatse as well as ActionSA's Funzi Ngobeni after being elected by 138 votes.

Phalatse received 81 votes while Ngobeni received 44 votes.

What was expected to be a quick meeting, the council ran for five hours with jubilant councillors from the ANC and EFF breaking into songs often.

Labelled an interim mayor, Amad is expected to occupy the position until negotiations between the ANC and EFF are concluded in Ekurhuleni.

It's understood the ANC did not field Dada Morero as its mayoral candidate until both parties conclude how it will take over the Ekurhuleni municipality and have a co-governance agreement in place.

Up until Thursday, AIC councillor Margaret Arnolds was tipped to replace Phalatse who was ousted through a motion of no confidence tabled on Thursday.

However, it is understood the ANC had a change of heart during the horse-trading talks during Thursday's meeting with Amad coming out on top.

Al-Jama-Ah, the party that Amad belongs to, has only three seats in council.

"This is a bigger task given to me and I believe with unity, we can defeat anything.

"We've identified five key areas and this government will work hard to ensure services are delivered to all. Our priorities are to ensure our residents have access to clean water, have proper roads and feel safe," Amad said.

Following the election, Amad was joined by Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie as well as ANC Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi for an impromptu media briefing.

Lesufi said Joburg's results would yield other results in other municipalities.

"It was just unfortunate in Ekurhuleni the DA is postponing something that is inevitable instead of democracy to take its own course, they decided to delay and collapse the meeting," he said.

Lesufi was referring to the Ekurhuleni council sitting that collapsed on Thursday. The speaker and chief whip were facing motions of no confidence in that meeting.

Meanwhile, McKenzie commended the ANC saying the party knew how to be a coalition partner.

"If you look at all the coalitions in the country that crumbled, it is always where the DA is because they come with the white superiority complex and entitlement," McKenzie said.

nkosin@sowetan.co.za