MMC for finance in Johannesburg Funzi Ngobeni has been put up as the DA’s mayoral candidate in the city.
If successfully elected when the City of Johannesburg council convenes next week, Ngobeni would replace Herman Mashaba who resigned last month, following the election of Helen Zille as federal council chairperson.
“Funzi emerged as the party’s mayoral candidate to succeed mayor Mashaba following an internal selection process,” said DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi.
Ngobeni last month confirmed to SowetanLIVE that he was available and interested in the position.
"I will certainly be available if the party is supporting our government to continue in Joburg,” he said at the time.
Ngobeni, who holds a strategic role of DA's Joburg regional council chairperson, is highly-rated and will probably replace Mashaba.
DA's Funzi Ngobeni likely to replace outgoing Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba
MMC for finance in Johannesburg Funzi Ngobeni has been put up as the DA’s mayoral candidate in the city.
If successfully elected when the City of Johannesburg council convenes next week, Ngobeni would replace Herman Mashaba who resigned last month, following the election of Helen Zille as federal council chairperson.
“Funzi emerged as the party’s mayoral candidate to succeed mayor Mashaba following an internal selection process,” said DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi.
Ngobeni last month confirmed to SowetanLIVE that he was available and interested in the position.
"I will certainly be available if the party is supporting our government to continue in Joburg,” he said at the time.
Ngobeni, who holds a strategic role of DA's Joburg regional council chairperson, is highly-rated and will probably replace Mashaba.
However, with only 38% of the votes in the 2016 local election, his election will be highly dependent on how other political parties, including their coalition and voting partners such as the EFF.
It is not immediately clear how the EFF will vote as they have previously indicated that they would want to govern the metropolitan municipality.
EFF leader Julius Malema in July announced that the party will cease to vote with the DA in the municipalities they govern including Tshwane, Johannesburg and others.
This came after the DA rejected the EFF’s proposal to install a Red Beret mayor in either Tshwane or Johannesburg.
The former DA federal council chairperson James Selfe told SowetanLIVE at the time that the EFF could try to topple the DA in both Tshwane and Johannesburg. However, the EFF would not be able to do this alone as they only garnered 11% of the votes in the 2016 local government elections. The party would need ANC’s 41%.