Kabelo Gwamanda elected as Joburg mayor
Al Jama-ah's Kabelo Gwamanda has been elected as Johannesburg’s new mayor with the support of the ANC, EFF and some of the minority parties in council.
Gwamanda won by 139 votes, beating the DA's Mpho Phalatse, who received 68 votes, and ActionSA's Funzi Ngobeni, who managed to garner 59 votes.
He was elected during a special council sitting on Friday in Braamfontein, and succeeds Al Jama-ah colleague Thapelo Amad.
Amad resigned as mayor last month.
In his maiden speech as mayor, Gwamanda said his leadership will be service delivery-driven.
"Although inconceivable to compare, it is the will beyond that of my own, that I find myself standing before you today. It is my view that the responsibility is duty-bound, and not a mere title of glamour, prestige, or celebrity status.
"The outcome of this democratic process should not be misconstrued with narratives that seek to cast aspersions and suggestive that we, as the people, are incapable of self-determination and further insinuate from a position of ignorance that this is a doomsday coalition simply because of the events that are currently unfolding seem unfortunately beyond the rationale."
WATCH: Gauteng High Court Judge President Modibedi Djaje swears in new Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda #CityOfJoburg pic.twitter.com/8Z2chXLFRH
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) May 5, 2023
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