Thapelo Amad of Al Jama-ah has been officially sworn in as Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg.
PHOTO: Papi Morake, Gallo Images
- Five of the eight new members of the Joburg mayoral committee are from the ANC.
- Two more will be announced on Friday, once they become councillors.
- The transportation and health and social development posts have yet to be named.
The ANC took over most of the seats on the Johannesburg mayor’s committee.
The newly elected mayor, Thapelo Amad, unveiled eight of the 10 names on his new committee on Thursday.
Five of the eight are from the ANC.
He said the remaining two members had to be sworn in as councilors before they could become members of the mayoral committee.
Amad confirmed that Patriotic Alliance (AP) Vice President Kenny Kunene would become a councillor.
It was unclear which of the eight Palestinian Authority members Kunene would replace.
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Kunene will likely be given the transport bag.
The other health and social development position apparently goes to EFF’s Ennie Makhafola.
The new members of the mayors committee are the following:
- Finance: Dada Morero (ANC);
- Group Corporate and Shared Services: Loyiso Masuku (ANC);
- Environment and Infrastructure Services: Jack Sekwaila (ANC);
- Public Security: Sepetlele Raseruthe (EFF);
- Development Planning: Eunice Mgcina (ANC);
- Economic Development: Nomoya Daphney Mnisi (ANC);
- Resident: Anthea Natasha Leitch (PA);
- Community development: Lubabalo Magwentshu (ATM)
Amad said the mayoral committee members were selected after “extensive consultations with the other political parties.”
The Johannesburg government, headed by Amad, calls itself the Government of Local Unity (GLU).
The mayor said that the consultations were carried out with the aim of consolidating the GLU association.
Kunene, 52, began his political career in July 2013 when he joined the newly formed EFF as part of its Central Command Team. He resigned a month later.
In November of that year, he joined the newly formed Palestinian Authority as secretary general.
Kunene is best known as a wealthy businessman who made headlines in October 2010 when he hosted a birthday party where his guests, including Julius Malema, ate sushi made from the bodies of naked women.
This earned him the nickname “The King of Sushi”.
