Johannesburg - The ANC has set its sights on the two Gauteng metros it does not control following the election of new Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero, after the ousting of the DA’s Dr Mpho Phalatse.
On Friday, the ANC supported the successful motion of no confidence in Phalatse brought by minority parties in the Johannesburg council.
ANC Gauteng spokesperson Lesego Makhubela yesterday confirmed the party would back similar moves in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni to remove mayors Randall Williams and Tania Campbell respectively.
In August, the ANC’s planned motion of no confidence in Williams ended in chaos after EFF councillors walked out of the meeting.
Morero heaped praise on the smaller parties that had helped him oust Phalatse as the country’s economic hub’s first citizen.
He was elected unopposed on Friday after the minority parties’ motion of no confidence in Phalatse succeeded.
After assuming power, the ANC Johannesburg regional chairperson thanked the EFF, the Patriotic Alliance, the African Independent Congress, Al Jama-ah, Cope, the African Heart Congress, the PAC and the African People’s Convention, which were behind the removal of Phalatse.
"To the minority parties, you must never be undermined. You earned your seats in council, and your voice must be heard,” Morero said.
Among Morero’s immediate tasks is naming his mayoral committee.
The 10 members of the mayoral committee are appointed at the mayor’s discretion and cease to hold their positions once the mayor is out of office.
Mpho Moerane, the last ANC mayor in Joburg, who died in October last year, appointed IFP councillors Helen Makhuba and Mlungisi Mabaso, the AIC’s Margaret Arnolds, and Thapelo Amad of Al Jama-ah to his mayoral committee.
Phalatse, who replaced Moerane as mayor after last year’s local government elections, had three mayoral committee members from Action SA, and one each from the IFP, the Freedom Front Plus and the African Christian Democratic Party.
Morero has vowed to tackle Johannesburg’s financial woes as the municipality struggles to recoup about R40 billion in debt owed by households, organs of state and commercial enterprises.
National Treasury has indicated that, at the end of March this year, Johannesburg accounted for nearly 35% of the R115bn owed by the eight metros across the country.
"We will fix the financial position of the City of Johannesburg,” Morero promised.
Morero said the city’s debt position required an in-depth analysis. Where appropriate and necessary, his administration would collaborate with financial institutions to reduce the debt to an affordable and sustainable level.
"We have no choice but to implement a revenue-enhancing strategy to improve the fortunes of the city, which will (entail) additional funds being deployed for much-needed infrastructure programmes and maintenance,” he explained.
Morero undertook to immediately activate a financial developmental plan to strengthen the city’s finances and improve its credit rating to reduce the cost of borrowing.
According to Morero, based on the ANC’s governance experience, he was confident the new administration would be able to stabilise the city’s finances.
"We will immediately review and restructure the balance sheet of the ailing municipality to put it in a solid financial position,” he added.
Meanwhile, the DA accused the ANC of trying to get its hands on tenders from Johannesburg’s R76bn budget.
DA leader John Steenhuisen accused speaker Colleen Makhubele, who was elected this week, of ignoring due process in convening Friday’s council meeting.
The official opposition will continue its legal challenge after the South Gauteng High Court struck off the roll its bid to interdict the meeting from taking place.
The EFF in Gauteng warned the ANC in Joburg that it would not hesitate to initiate a motion of no confidence in Morero should there be a lack of service delivery, accountability, and allegations of corruption. However, it was committed to ensuring a stable government to deliver basic services.