Riyaz Patel
The newly elected mayor of Johannesburg says the city will have a new executive at the end of the week, and that the ANC would reach out to the DA and EFF because he wanted to build a united city.
“In the last three years, we have endured divisiveness and a highly toxic political and administrative environment,” Geoff Makhubo told journalists Thursday.
The ANC, with the assistance of the Inkatha Freedom Party and smaller parties – including the Pan African Congress, African Independent Congress and Al-Jamah – won control of the City on Wednesday after the seized control in 2016 local government elections.
Makhubo also confirmed the ANC would enter into a formal coalition with the smaller parties who helped it regain control of Johannesburg.
“Yes, we [are] going into a formal coalition with the parties. Now, we are negotiating who will lead what. It will be an all-encompassing government,” he said.
Makhubo said the City’s finances were on the verge of collapse and suburbs have been turned into dumping sites due to delayed garbage collection, land invasions were on the rise and crime was increasing in the city centre.
Former mayor Herman Mashaba claimed he had left the City in a good state.
In a statement Thursday, Mashaba, said: “Instead of having a mayor who fights corruption, Johannesburg will now have a mayor who is allegedly corrupt.”
Makhubo said the ANC was committed to fighting corruption.
“The current modus operandi in the City is not to follow transparent tender processes, but to use regulation 32 to award contracts, in most instances to companies that lack the requisite competencies.
“If you look at shacks going to the south, look at what’s happening in Ward 109… [If you look at] what’s happening in Ivory Park, surely you can acknowledge that by-law enforcement, building control has collapsed,” he continued.
Makhubo said a budget needed to be passed in February, adding councillors would be working together to make sure it would go through.
Issues around service providers not being paid on time and the state of entities such as Joburg Water and City Power would be discussed once he had met with the city manager after Thursday’s council sitting, Makhubo said.
The ANC man was elected mayor when voting finally got underway Wednesday, almost a week after the first sitting to hold an election was postponed to seek clarity on what constitutes a majority.
Makhubo, a controversial figure who has been linked to Regiments Capital, a company entwined in State capture allegations, secured more than the 50% plus one majority needed when 137 councillors cast their ballots in his favour.
His rivals Funzi Ngobeni of the DA received 101 votes, while Musa Novela from the EFF received 30.
