Amad scrambles to douse flames after loan prospect blooper

Joburg mayor Thapelo Amad could face a motion of no confidence following an interview in which he said he had secured the prospect of a R9.5bn loan to fund service delivery.

Amad told the SABC on Friday that he had attended a meeting where he secured the prospects of the loan.

However, in a statement on Monday, Amad made an about turn, saying he made the remarks “in reference to the various discussions underway and the numerous unsolicited proposals that have been directed to the City from a variety of stakeholders”.

Amad made no mention of the unsolicited proposals in the interview. 

“The loan proposal referred to is but one of many unsolicited proposals advanced to the City following widely published reports on the City's financial difficulties following the Covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent economic impact on ratepayers and the City,” said Amad in the statement. 

“The mention of the R9,5bn loan facility was made as a mere example of the proposals received and not stated as a final and concluded deal of the City. It was used within the context of the interview to demonstrate a collective will by the City leadership to steer Johannesburg and the Inner City towards growth and development,” he claimed. 

Amad who is a member of Al-Jama-Ah in council is in a coalition with the ANC, PA, EFF, GOOD, COPE, ATM, APC, PAC and AHC.

ActionSA caucus leader in Johannesburg Funzi Ngobeni said the party would submit a motion of no confidence against Amad, labelling him a “puppet mayor”.

“Mayor Amad, an expedient candidate between the ANC and EFF’s coalition of doom has time and time again prove to be woefully ill-equipped and unable to articulate a coherent plan of action and vision for the City of Johannesburg.

“Since Amad’s election, service delivery in Johannesburg has rapidly deteriorated with heaps of rubbish piling up our streets while ANC members of the mayoral committee - such as Jack Sekwaila - wanting to blame homeless people for the city’s mess,” Ngobeni said.

The motions are expected to be debated during an ordinary council meeting on April 25.

The city’s finance MMC Dada Morero told Sowetan he knows nothing about the loan.

PA leader Gayton McKenzie

called for Amad to resign, saying it was time the party to put the citizens of Joburg first and “admit we have made a mistake”.

“Thapelo Amad has been asked to climb a mountain too high for him. It’s not just harming Joburg, it’s destroying him too. We will rectify this blunder. Amad should resign now. We apologise profusely,” McKenzie tweeted.

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