City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda’s health has come under scrutiny after the council meeting was adjourned abruptly due to his ill health.
The council was debating his State of the City Address (Soca) speech and Gwamanda was expected to respond to it today.
After consulting with her team, the Speaker Colleen Makhubele adjourned the meeting because she said the council cannot continue without the Mayor.
“We need the Mayor in the house, the only question is when are we going to continue and have a Soca debate and have the Mayor respond and I don’t think that is a train smash for now,” she said.
The DA’s newly-elected Joburg party caucus leader Belinda Echeozonjoku said Gwamanda’s health was concerning and his collapse showed he is not in control and not coping with what is happening in the City.
“We haven’t seen the Mayor, he’s been absent for quite some time and he hasn’t been attending the Integrated Development (IDP) sessions. Yesterday we listened to his speech and it was clear he is not in charge of the City,” she said.
Mayoral Spokesperson Mlimandlela Ndamase said the Mayor has been sick since yesterday.
“The Executive Mayor has been unwell since yesterday morning however given the significance and importance of the day to Council and residents of the City, he unfortunately went against medical advice and attended to the State of the City Address as delivered,” said Ndamase in a statement.
“He was seen by his medical team immediately after the address yesterday. Sadly, during today’s debate, his condition deteriorated and the advice of the medical team has been that he needs to be excused immediately and presents himself to a medical facility for urgent treatment and observation,” he added.
Meanwhile ActionSA Caucus leader Funzi Nqobeni accused Gwamanda of not addressing his corruption scandal hanging over his head.
On Monday ActionSA put out a public call to the Mayor that he needs to use his State of the City Address to come clean on serious allegations of criminal wrongdoing.
“It is evident from his State of the City Address yesterday that Gwamanda did not take this demand seriously and this is why ActionSA has filed a motion of no confidence to remove him from office.
Allegations against Gwamanda stem from a Carte Blanche expose which revealed he defrauded vulnerable people through a funeral scheme as well as posed serious questions about his academic qualifications.
“Johannesburg deserves better than a Mayor from a two-seat party that cannot be trusted by his own coalition partners to answer simple and direct questions about the allegations he faces. It demonstrates how his leadership of the City is nothing more than a charade while the ANC and EFF implement their real agenda with the benefit of being able to deny that they were in charge.”
He said ActionSA’s motion against the Mayor will be heard in two weeks’ time.
