ANC’s Johannesburg regional chairperson, Dada Morero, has been elected the new mayor of the City of Joburg following dramatic ousting of DA’s Mpho Phalatse.
Morero was voted in unopposed on Friday.
The sitting was convened by newly elected Speaker and COPE Councillor Colleen Makhubele after 139 councillors voted for the DA’s Phalatse to be removed.
The DA also lost the position of council speaker after Vasco Da Gama was ousted in favour of Makhubele.
Earlier, the DA tried to rush to court to stop Friday’s council meeting from going ahead but the matter was kickd out of the South Gauteng High court.
In his address following his election, Morero said the ANC will put the interest of the people first.
“We continue to apologise and humble ourselves for our mistakes, and we learnt valuable lessons. It is through learning that we can correct our ways and focus on the future,” said Morero.
“What has happened today is an illustration of what can go wrong when a government fails to the serve the people. Our communities have suffered enough. They were promised change, and change moved to a ‘false golden start’. Enough is Enough.”
DA Gauteng leader, Solly Msimanga, said the Johannesburg City Council meeting on Friday that elected Morero had all the hallmarks of a tragicomedy because Makhubele ignored procedural protocol in her quest to push through the motion of no confidence in Phalatse at whatever the cost.
“This was done because a court action brought by the DA to stop this sham meeting was being heard at the same time,” said Msimanga.
“Unfortunately, the Speaker’s tactic worked and the motion was carried before the court action could be concluded. It was evident for all to see that the Speaker had a political agenda that she would push through without any regard for the rules of the house.”
Msimanga said the DA, however, will continue with its court action to prevent the election of a new mayor.
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