The City of Joburg Mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse will again face a motion of no confidence during a council sitting on Thursday from five opposition parties, including the ANC, that have united to remove her from her seat.
The opposition parties, the ANC, the ATM, the PAC, Al Jama-ah, and the Good and African Independent Congress (AIC), will vote together to remove the DA mayor who was re-elected only in October 2022.
Last year, Phalatse survived multiple motions of no confidence brought by minority parties and also interdicted the council by going to Johannesburg High Court which ruled in her favour.
The Joburg Mayorship has been a revolving door since the death of Geoff Makhubu who was Mayor of Johannesburg from December 2019 until his death from COVID-19 in July 2021.
Then former Mayoral Committee Member Jolidee Matongo was elected Joburg Mayor on 10 August 2021 to replace Makhubu until his death on 18 September 2021 in a car crash on the Golden Highway.
Then Mpho Moerane succeeded Matongo and became Mayor of Joburg between October and November 2021. He too died on 18 May 2022 after being involved in a car accident.
Then the DA’s Mpho Phalatse became Mayor but Phalatse was voted out through a vote of no confidence motion in one of the council meetings.
Then ANC politician Sello Enoch Dada Morero was appointed as the Mayor of Joburg. But could serve for only 25 in October 2022 because he had to vacate the seat after a South Gauteng High Court judgment declared the meeting that removed Phalatse as invalid.
Again, Phalatse is facing a vote of no confidence from opposition parties who are now accusing her of failing to deliver services to the residents of Joburg, one of the richest municipalities in South Africa.
AIC leader Margaret Arnolds confirmed the council is set for Thursday and the motion is back on the agenda and that she will be delivering the motion.
“I think it’s an open secret that there has been no service delivery since our last council meeting. Staff came complaining to us that they didn’t receive their bonuses, they are panicking that probably there won’t be January or February salaries,” she said.
Arnolds also accused Phalatse of not being on the ground with the people during the floods in early December and she said she has evidence to support her claims.
“Do you remember my speech in council that we are going to hold her accountable? I have been building a portfolio and my portfolio of evidence is there,” she said.
