‘I don’t have to subject myself to media interrogation’- Gwamanda

Gwamanda was responding to the State of the City Address debate on Tuesday, which was postponed on Wednesday last week after he fell ill.

The Al Jama-ah councillor has been heavily criticised for continuously cancelling media engagements since he took office. 

Gwamada was scheduled to engage the media following the delivery of his maiden State of the City Address on Tuesday, but the briefing was subsequently postponed to Thursday.

It eventually didn't happen due to illness.

This was not the first time he missed a media engagement in the City of Joburg.

Last month the mayor did not attend a press briefing that would have seen him answer to fraud allegations levelled against him.

This relates to his investment company Ithemba Lama Afrika, which is believed to have defrauded some victims.

Gwamanda used the Tuesday opportunity to take a swipe at his critics.

"To all the residents in the City of Johannesburg and beyond, I would like to note that there is a fine distinction between fact and fiction, service delivery and grandstanding, leadership and acting.

“But most importantly, the blurred distinction between news reporting and driving sponsored narrative - with power comes great responsibility.

“And the notion that suggests that mere perspective is everything is detrimental to our society.

“Madam Speaker, allow me to educate fellow councillors in opposition and in the same breath assist our residents with information regarding the roles of the executive mayor in accordance with chapter 4 of the standing rule and orders of council section 35.2, which is clear and nowhere does it stipulate that the executive mayor is obligated to subjecting him/herself to social media or media houses for interrogation," said Gwamanda.

He also moved to assure residents that there is no leadership crisis in the city.

"I would like to assure the residents that the government in its current form is stable and that there is no leadership crisis in the city of Johannesburg.

“Apart from the frivolous sponsored narratives from opposition and rhetoric that have no bearing on my fiduciary duty as the councillor and constitutional obligation as the executive mayor, nor on the daily lived experience of the residents.

“We are, therefore, as the government of local unity reiterating that we are here, and we are at the service of all six million residents. We demonstrate through action that we are more than capable of governing, and effectively so.”

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