It seems that there is a growing chorus of opposition parties in Joburg calling for the resignation or ousting of the new Joburg Mayor Thapelo Ahmed for the SABC interview that went south where he failed to explain details of a loan that he said the City had allegedly secured.
The PA was one of the parties that had supported and welcomed the appointment of Amad, the minority party – Al Jamah, candidate has also called for his resignation following the television interview.
In a tweet, the PA leader Gayton McKenzie apologised to the ‘citizens of Joburg’ and called for the resignation of Amad now.
“We must put the citizens of Joburg first and admit we have backed the wrong horse. Thapelo Amad has been asked to climb a mountain too high for him. It’s not just harming Joburg, it’s destroying him too. We will rectify this blunder”.
This is not the first time Amad has been drawn into controversy. Soon after he was elected Mayor, when asked about what his priority for the City would be, he answered that he would prioritise fixing potholes as his number one goal.
ActionSA said this morning it will submit a motion of no confidence in what it called the City of Joburg’s ‘puppet’ mayor Thapelo Amad for his failure ‘time and time’ again ‘being ill equipped and unable to articulate coherent plan of action and vision for the City of Joburg’.
“Amad has shown his inability to understand the basics of a loan agreement in a television interview’, read the statement.
Calling Amad an expedient candidate between the ANC and the EFF’s coalition of ‘doom’, ActionSA said since Amad’s election, service delivery in Johannesburg has rapidly deteriorated with heaps of rubbish piling on the streets, while ANC members of the mayoral committee (MMC) – such as Jack Sekwaila – wanting to blame homeless people for the city’s mess instead of taking responsibility themselves.
“ActionSA will today submit motions of no confidence in the City of Johannesburg puppet mayor Thapelo Amad, the dishonest Speaker Colleen Makhubele and other office bearers who were all appointed through crooked dealings between the ANC’s Gauteng Provincial Chairperson, Panyaza Lesufi, and the EFF.
So embarrassed by Amad’s faux pas that the City of Joburg was yesterday forced to issue a statement clarifying the Mayor’s remarks on the loan proposal to the City.
In the statement, the City said the remarks by Amad were made in reference to various discussions underway and numerous proposals that have been directed to the City from a variety of stakeholders.
It said the loan proposal referred to is one of many unsolicited proposals advanced to the City following reports of the City’s financial difficulties following Covid-19 and its impact on the ratepayers and the City.
“The mention of the R9,5 billion loan facility was made as a mere example of the proposals received and not stated as a final and concluded deal of the City. It was used within the context of the interview to demonstrate a collective will by the City leadership to steer Johannesburg and the inner City around towards growth and development.”