Johannesburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse
PHOTO: Papi Morake/Gallo Images
- Johannesburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse believes she will survive the latest vote of no confidence.
- She has faith that she will not be expelled.
- But, if she’s kicked out, she expects whoever takes over to continue with her.action plans implemented by the DA-led government.
Johannesburg City Mayor Mpho Phalatse is confident he will remain in office despite three no-confidence motions against him on Thursday.
At a press conference on the electricity crisis, held before the council session, Phalatse was asked about the threat to his position.
He acknowledged the next moves, saying, “We’ve outlived many, but hopefully, we’ll live to see another day.”
She said the party started its mandate in the City with 140 of the 270 seats for a multi-party government led by the DA. In September, she was illegally ousted from office when some coalition parties exchanged words.
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Phalatse addressed rumors that she would join ActionSA if she was removed: “If I am out of office, I will communicate the plans, but I still believe that I will be in office [after the council meeting this week].”
She said the action plans set out by the DA-led government were not political.
“No matter what, whoever comes in, I hope they have the common sense to go ahead with the plans. These are not political plans.”
Phalatse also acknowledged receiving a “bag” from the office of President Colleen Makhubele.
Apparently, a note was attached to the bag, which read:
It’s time to pack your bags.
Phalatse said she did not know what the letter said, but thought the gift was “strange”.
This is the third time that the mayor has faced a vote of no confidence.
It is believed that, if she is expelled, the new mayor will come from one of the minority parties that filed the motions of censure against her.
A number of party leaders attended, including John Steenhuisen, the district attorney.
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Al Jama-ah’s Kabelo Gwamanda said the mayor “doesn’t care about the residents of Johannesburg” and “has no sense of a strategic direction for the city, and there are no signs of hope under her leadership.”
Gwamanda introduced the first motion.
Margaret Arnolds of the African Independent Congress introduced the second motion.
According to Arnolds, Phalatse failed “to effectively manage a stable government… under his leadership, the city is degenerating and collapsing.”
She said:
We have lost confidence in the executive mayor.
The councilor of the African Transformation Movement, Lubabalo Magwentshu, filed the third motion of no confidence against the mayor for the same reasons as Gwamanda.
