ANC-EFF discord strengthens Phalatse’s hand in Joburg

City of Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse will remain mayor for the foreseeable future after tensions between the ANC and EFF could not be resolved in time to push her out.

Two motions of no confidence against Phalatse were withdrawn during the second day of Joburg’s council meeting on Thursday after intense discussions between the minority bloc in council, the ANC and EFF.

The first motion was submitted by the AIC supported by Al-Jama-Ah, while the second had been submitted by ATM seconded by the PAC.

Insiders said the motions were not permanently off the table and their return to council agenda was contingent on how things play out in the City of Ekurhuleni.

Phalatse said she expected Thursday’s outcome because she foresaw the opposition did not have the numbers. “We expected that they will not be able to agree here, as much as they were not able to in Ekurhuleni. We’re grateful that that’s exactly how it played out. Well there’s always a threat of a motion of no confidence in our politics.

“We’ve got a democratic society. Of course I have a concern about the frequency of these motions and this is something that we will be tabling to our rules committee,” she said.

“Ekurhuleni has a six-month rule, the City of Johannesburg does not and that’s problematic. It does not speak well for stability and that’s something that really urgently needs to be looked at,” Phalatse said.

Earlier this month, ANC Ekurhuleni regional chairperson Mzwandile Masina, who has since resigned from the council and as chairperson in the region, foiled the ANC and EFF’s plans of a takeover in that municipality.

Both parties had agreed to support EFF mayoral candidate Nkululeko Dunga but at the last minute, Masina nominated his deputy Jongizizwe Dlabathi. Masina was charged with bringing the party into disrepute but resigned before he could be suspended.

The repercussions of his decision were that the EFF would not support the ANC in the Johannesburg council until it restored and went back to their initial agreement in Ekurhuleni. If an agreement is reached between the ANC and the EFF, the Red Berets will take over the running of Ekurhuleni and allow the ANC in Johannesburg to call the shots.

Phalatse was removed through a motion of no confidence tabled by the PAC but this was overturned by the high court in Johannesburg, which ruled the meeting that removed Phalatse had been unlawful and invalid.

One insider said they had planned on withdrawing the motions on Wednesday but first wanted to caucus with the EFF before making such a decision.

“We will be withdrawing the motion. The EFF just wanted to reassure [us] that they are still 100% with us. “[We decided] we should at least wait for the developments in Ekurhuleni, which include the resignation of Masina and the plans to remove mayor Tania [Campbell],” the insider said.

Another scenario on the table was to possibly nominate a mayoral candidate from the minority bloc instead of the ANC’s Dada Morero, who was mayor for less than 30 days.

Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie announced through his social media pages that the motion in Johannesburg would not be tabled until the ANC rectifies its actions in Ekurhuleni.

Meanwhile, ANC Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi, while speaking on the sidelines of the mini- budget at the provincial legislature, confirmed talks with the EFF would continue.

Should the province activate its plan with the EFF, this could pave the way for both DA mayors in Ekurhuleni and Joburg to be removed early next year.

Before withdrawing the motion, AIC councillor Margaret Arnolds read Phalatse the riot act, saying the streets of the metro were dirty, alleging that refuse was not collected.

“While drafting this motion, I felt like a pastor in church. I reminisced and looked at all the issues, why I’m doing this, and I thought about the current administration and wanting to give them an opportunity to demonstrate their golden repair.

“I also looked at the wellbeing of the city’s finances that are not in good standing but in the ICU. Madam speaker, it actually pained me as a resident of the City of Johannesburg. The streets are dirtier than the toilets of this precinct.”