Ousted City of Johannesburg Mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse said while she is disappointed to have been removed in her position she will continue to serve the residents of the municipality in another capacity.
“I’m honoured, I was the first female to serve the Joburg Metro. It will never be removed from the history books and that is one thing that I will always take with me,” she said.
Phalatse said this in Braamfontein, shortly after she was voted out in a motion of no confidence. Councillors who supported the motion of no confidence were 140 while 129 voted against it.
“It is not the end of the road for me, I was born for this. I will always serve humanity in one way or another capacity.”
Al-Jamah leader Thapelo Amad said he was excited to be the chosen candidate to replace Phalatse.
“Tomorrow we are coming back to vote in the mayor with the same numbers we removed the multiparty government,’’ he said while promising to take the City into the next level.
“Above all we want to deliver services and appoint a City Manager and Chief Financial Officer. We will also apply for the DBSA loan because you need money to provide services.
“To bring in all accounting officers, also obviously look into load shedding which is a big crisis and food bank so people shouldn’t go to bed hungry because this will also decrease crime,” he said.
Amad is the former MMC for Development Planning in the City of Johannesburg and Al Jama-ah Gauteng Provincial Chairperson.
Phalatse said she does not have confidence in the candidates from the minority parties while rebutting claims from the opposition parties that she doesn’t have support from her own party, the DA.
“Of course not. They are not interested in service delivery. We should worry about that kind of choice of mayoral candidates as the leading City in Africa we can do better. I’m worried that it doesn’t have to be me but I think we can do better.”
“I’m not resigning from the Democratic Alliance. The DA is a big organisation. Do I have support? Yes I do have support.”
During the Council meeting some opposition party councillors applauded her, for her work as the mayorship in council but none from her party clapped for her.
But she said she didn’t read too much into that.
Phalatse was elected as the City of Joburg Mayor after the 2021 November Local Government Elections.
