‘Book an Uber back home,’ ANC tells Joburg mayor Phalatse ahead of Friday’s no-confidence vote

The ANC has expressed confidence that Mpho Phalatse's days as mayor of Johannesburg are numbered as the party moves to install its caucus leader, Dada Morero, in her place. 

ANC Johannesburg regional secretary Sasanabo Manganye is so confident of this that he has advised Phalatse to book e-hailing service Uber to take her home on Friday, the day set down for the tabling of a motion of no confidence in her.

“We want to advise her not to waste our time so that we don’t do a motion of no confidence. She must just not waste our time and resign so we can have a proper government,” Manganye said.

“If she comes to the next council without resigning she must just use Uber because she will not go back [home] with the car she would have used to go to council.”

The cut-throat remarks come as the ANC’s takeover of the city could go up a gear on Friday when its coalition, which includes the EFF, UDM and AIC, is expected to make its move.

The coalition successfully installed Cope councillor Colleen Makhubele as speaker on Wednesday with the help of Patriotic Alliance, which ditched the DA-led coalition.

Makhubele was elected speaker receiving 141 of the 270 votes, and the DA’s Alex Christians received 129.

Her election follows the ousting of DA speaker Vasco da Gama earlier this month.

The PA is again expected to vote for the motion of no confidence on Friday.

Their decision to jump from the DA ship came after the DA refused calls from ActionSA and the PA to give the speaker position to one of their coalition partners, preferably the IFP.

The PA, TimesLIVE understands, has agreed to the ANC’s offer of two MMC positions in exchange for its support to install both Makhubele and Morero.

Parties represented in the council were on Thursday expecting to receive the agenda for the seating.

TimesLIVE