Newly elected Joburg executive mayor Thapelo Amad says his appointment as the first black Muslim mayor has tested democracy and he vows to move forward.
Amad, 41, from the minority Al Jama-ah party, was elected mayor with 138 votes more than his predecessor Mpho Phalatse (81 votes) and ActionSA caucus leader Funzi Ngobeni (46 votes).
“It humbles me that all the stakeholders involved in supporting this course came to the board and supported my name,” said Amad.
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There is talk that Amad was given the position to push the agenda of the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). He denied the rumors and said he would continue the agenda of the city’s six million residents.
‘We represent the masses’
“I am not sure who is talking about this, but I believe it is a collective effort. The effort is not only from the government, we will still consult with the DA [Democratic Alliance]other stakeholders, frontline workers and citizens.
“We represent the masses and that’s the agenda we want to push,” he said.
It is still unclear how long Amad will be in the post, as the ANC and EFF have agreed to put him in the mayoral post until they resolve their dispute. Amad also could not confirm how long he would be in the position amid criticism that he would only serve as interim mayor.
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“Honestly I do not know because I do not know what is there. Whatever time it will take, we will accept it. We agree in principle and we know it must be the mayor of the ANC that emerges now,” said Amad.
“If we don’t meet, it’s useless for us, if God SWT says to conclude the term; we will definitely conclude the term.
‘It’s a tough job’
Reflecting on his defeat while speaking to Saturday Citizen, Ngobeni said ActionSA will support Amad because it wants to bring stability to the town.
“This is what we should all be worried about. If that stability can be provided by Thapelo Amad and the bloc that supports him, they will definitely support him,” said Ngobeni.
“Of course, we will be responsible, we will exercise supervision as an opposition party, but it will be a constructive opposition.”
Asked if Amad can run the richest metro in SA, Ngobeni said people can only judge him by his performance.
“It’s too early for me to say whether he can or can’t, we’ll give him a chance to prove himself,” he said.
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“It is a difficult task; Johannesburg is the biggest economic center in the country, they need a lot of support and they need people around them who will help them succeed.
“We only call when they need us.”
Phalatse said the DA will not let down and disappoint the 26% of citizens who voted to govern during the local government elections in 2021.
“They expected us to try and rule and that’s exactly what we did,” Phalatse said.
“We will work with them, but we will make sure they do the right thing by the citizens.”
Gauteng ANC chairperson Panyaza Lesufi said Amad was not put in the mayoral post to be used by the ANC.
“Insulting should not be the order to join us. If you have facts and evidence against the ANC, present the facts. I can challenge anyone who says that the ANC is using anyone to give the facts and no one will give them.
Joburg Speaker Colleen Makhubele assured residents that the city will kick-start, come hell or high water.
“One of our priorities is to give oversight to the executive mayor … We have faith in him. We know he can deliver.
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– lungam@citizen.co.za