Joburg mayor resigns
Gauteng premier Panyaza says Amad 'had been voted out by coalition partners'
Joburg mayor, Thapelo Amad has resigned on the eve of council debating a motion of no confidence against him brought by opposition parties.
This was announced by Gauteng premier and ANC provincial chairperson Panyaza Lesufi on Monday night.
The embattled mayor was facing a motion of no confidence together with council speaker Colleen Makhubele.
Speaking at a media briefing on Monday night Lesufi said Amad would be stepping down with immediate effect.
“Following intense consultation and discussions we have accepted the resignation of our executive mayor, Thapelo Amad.
“Cllr Thapelo is not running from the motion of no confidence tomorrow. From where we are standing and where he is standing, he has done his level best and therefore he feels the need to resign.
“Any motion that was going to be taken today was going to be crushed.
Lesufi said Amad had been voted out by coalition partners and despite this, the partnership was still intact.
Amad came under fire following an interview with the SABC where he said he had secured a R9.5bn prospective loan to deal with service delivery in the city, PA president Gayton McKenzie called for Amad’s head, saying the party had erred in backing him for the mayor job.
Last week Sowetan reported that the ANC in the City of Johannesburg was likely to field another Al-Jama-ah councillor, Kabelo Gwamanda, as the next mayor.
This came after partners in the government of local unity agreed that Amad should leave his post to save the coalition after the PA threatened to pull out.
sibiyan@sowetan.co.za