Kabelo Gwamanda hands back Joburg mayoral chain
Al Jama-ah councillor Kabelo Gwamanda submitted his resignation as Johannesburg mayor to Council Speaker Margaret Arnold on Tuesday morning.
Gwamanda’s resignation follows weeks of discussions among various political parties about his future as the city’s first citizen amid complaints of poor service delivery and the mismanagement of the city's finances.
Gwamanda was elected as mayor in May last year with the support of the ANC, EFF, and several minority parties in the council.
In recent months, however, opposition councillors have increasingly called for his resignation, arguing that he is unfit to lead the city.
Civil society organisations have also joined the calls, citing his failure to deliver essential services such as power and water to parts of the metro.
Jacaranda FM News understands that Gwamanda will be replaced by ANC regional chair Dada Morero, who currently serves as the finance MMC for the city.
In a statement, Gwamanda said he was humbled by the opportunity to have led the city and to have “stabilised” it financially.
"I am pleased that we managed to place good governance on course and that we achieved the best audit outcomes witnessed by the city in years," he said.
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“I shall continue to serve the people of Johannesburg as a Councilor and will forever cherish the experience afforded to me in my tenure as the executive mayor.
“My story is one I am hopeful will continue to inspire many an African child from our city that, against deprivation, isolation, social and political exclusion and with the absence of friends and peers in the corporate and media hierarchy, one can live and rise on the noble cause of changing the conditions of the poor,” added Gwamanda.
The resignation will be effective from a date to be determined by the speaker.
A new mayor will then be elected by the council.
