Mayor Mashaba ready to turn City around
JOBURG – Newly elected mayor says corruption will be enemy number one.
Newly elected Executive Mayor for the City of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba has vowed to clamp down on corruption in the administration of the City.
“Corruption will be public enemy number one – we are going to run a government that is going to safeguard your money [public money].” Mashaba made these remarks shortly after being elected mayor at the inaugural meeting of the City Council that was held on 22 August. Mashaba received 144 votes, defeating his predecessor, Parks Tau who received 125.
The inaugural sitting of the Council was filled with drama.
At the beginning of proceedings, the EFF threatened that they would not allow the Council to proceed; and just as councillors were about to be sworn in by Judge President Dunstan Mlambo, EFF councillors objected to the swearing in of ANC councillor and previous Member of the Mayoral Committee for Housing, Dan Bovu.
They objected to him taking his oath because they allege that he has pending criminal cases at Brixton and Eldorado police stations. “That man is a wanted criminal. How can you allow someone with a pending fraud and corruption charge to be sworn in? We cannot allow and promote corruption in government and this Council.”
Read: EFF says no to Mashaba
EFF councillors claim to have opened a case against Bovu because he allegedly tried to bribe them with R500 000 each in return for swinging their votes to the ANC during the Council sitting. Bovu has, however, denied this allegation and said he made no such offer to anyone.
City Manager, Trevor Fowler, who was presiding over the first part of the session, ruled that Bovu must be sworn in as a councillor, as the law states that one is innocent until proven guilty. Fowler added that the IEC had vetted all councillor candidates, and Bovu was among them.
EFF councillors delayed proceedings, even calling on Judge Mlambo to step in and advise on how a wanted criminal is dealt with. “We have police outside, let them come in and arrest this wanted criminal,” said another EFF councillor. After delays, the EFF ultimately allowed proceedings to carry on.
Once councillors were sworn in, the election of the Speaker of Council came. The DA put Vasco Da Gama’s name forward while the ANC nominated the previous Speaker, Conny Bapela again.
The voting process was not easy and was filled with much more drama and delays, as it also came to a halt when there were objections from some party agents about the voting process. The voting was cast through a secret ballot and concerned agents were not happy that some of the councillors showed their votes to the public.
Read: BREAKING NEWS: Herman Mashaba elected Mayor of Johannesburg
The EFF said there was nothing wrong with this, but the IEC ruled that a secret ballot must be maintained until the ballot paper is inside the ballot box.
There was some irregularity with the election of the Speaker. Masego Shiburi of the IEC stated that 271 ballots were cast, which is surprising as the council has 270 councillors. Da Gama emerged victorious, bagging 145 votes, trashing Bapela who only received 126.
Tragedy then hit the hall when the ANC regional treasurer, Geoffrey Makhubo broke the news, confirming that one of their councillors had passed away. The councillor, who had been sworn in during the morning, collapsed shortly before the voting of Mayor and Chief Whip could be done.
This resulted in a cloud hanging over the election of Mayor and Chief Whip, with no chanting and singing, as was the case with the election of the Speaker.
The Council Chief Whip is Kevin Wax of the DA who received 146 votes, beating the ANC’s Solomon Mogase who received 123.
Also read:
BREAKING NEWS: ANC councillor passes away
