DA welcomes resignation of Joburg’s ‘puppet mayor’ Amad

The DA has welcomed the resignation of Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Amad, saying it was clear during his short time in office he fell far short of the requirements for the position.

The party announced it will nominate former mayor Mpho Phalatse as its mayoral candidate, saying she has a proven track record and an understanding of the needs of the people of Johannesburg.

DA Gauteng provincial chair Fred Nel said it was disappointing that Amad, another “puppet mayor”, was manipulated by the ANC-EFF-PA coalition.

“By supporting Amad as mayor the ANC-EFF-PA sabotaged service delivery and placed their personal interests above the interest of Johannesburg residents,” said Nel.

The provincial leader accused the ANC-EFF-PA alliance of suspending investigations into corruption that had been initiated under the DA multiparty coalition and reinstating officials accused of corruption.

He said Amad was forced to resign before a motion of no confidence to remove him would almost certainly have been passed at the council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, which was cancelled after he resigned.

“The ANC-EFF-PA coalition does not yet have a ‘compromise candidate’ to replace Amad, and behind-the-scenes horse-trading for positions has commenced, ignoring the interests of residents of Johannesburg,” said Nel.

A memo penned by council speaker Colleen Makhubele, who also faced a no-confidence motion, said the cancellation of the council meeting was necessitated by Amad’s exit from office.

This was because the Local Government Municipal Structures Act required that “if the executive mayor vacates office, the mayoral committee appointed by that executive mayor dissolves”.

Makhubele announced an extraordinary council meeting would be held on May 2 to elect a new executive mayor.

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