ANC regional chairperson and Johannesburg MMC treasurer Dada Molero has been elected as Johannesburg's new mayor. (Lubabalo Lesor/Galo Images)
aThe Johannesburg City Council appointed Nobule Mthembu as its new speaker after a special city council meeting last Friday saw Margaret Arnold step down from the position and elect Dada Molero as executive mayor.
Morello's selection came after weeks of negotiations between the often-conflicting political parties on the city council. He served as mayor for a short time in 2022 but resigned after the High Court ruled his appointment unlawful following a lawsuit from the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Dada's election is backed by Action SA, which said it had agreed to work with the ANC in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni and would review its relationship with the DA in Tshwane.
In a statement on Tuesday, Action SA said Mthembu was a strong advocate of accountability and transparency and was well suited for the job.
“During his term as a city councillor, Mthembu has been at the forefront of advocating for the interests of Johannesburg residents and we believe his qualities make him the right candidate for speaker,” the statement said.
The party added that administrative inefficiencies under the previous executive committee were behind a number of crises in Johannesburg, including the Ushindiso fire which killed 77 people last year.
“As Action SA's parliamentary leader, Councillor Mthembu has not only highlighted the numerous issues affecting the city's ability to govern effectively, but has consistently made deliberate efforts to propose the solutions needed to get the city back on track,” the party said.
Action SA voted with 44 votes, promising to vote with the ANC in parliament if the ANC supports the removal of Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and helps Action SA win the speakership position in both Johannesburg and Tshwane.
The agreement will allow the ANC to regain power in Tshwane, where ActionSA is in coalition government with the DA.
The ANC in Johannesburg announced on Tuesday that it had begun negotiations with other parties in Tshwane to form a coalition government to oust the DA.
“There is no conflict or fear between the parties. We are in discussion with the parties. We will move forward once we have agreed on the way forward. We are keeping our eye on Tshwane and we believe there will be change but nothing has been concluded yet,” Gauteng ANC secretary Thembinkosi “TK” Nchiza told reporters.
The DA has been in control of Tshwane for more than a year, with the support of ActionSA, the African Christian Democratic Party and the Inkatha Freedom Party.
On Monday, ANC provincial chairperson Panyaza Lesufi said several political parties had expressed interest in working with the ANC to unseat the DA.
“There is huge support in Tshwane from various political parties who want the ANC to come back to save Tshwane. Obviously, this is an opportunity we are happy to take up,” Lesufi said.
The revamped coalition government is a reconfiguration of a previous agreement struck last year between the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters in Gauteng, which saw the minority party occupy the mayoral post and the two major parties share the mayoral committee post.
“In the 2021 local elections the ANC lost in all three metropolitan areas and we respectfully took a stand in opposition seats. It was only when the existing government collapsed and the ANC was asked to step in,” Lesufi said.
“Between that period and now, two of the major towns we lost have returned to ANC control. There is a good chance we could make inroads in Tshwane, but we are cautious about making inroads as part of the coalition.”
