‘Politics at play can see the end of Joburg council’

With the exit of mayor Herman Mashaba, Johannesburg could face a politically untenable situation, which could see the dissolution of the metro council, a political analyst warned.

Coalition parties may be unable to elect Mashaba’s replacement and new office-bearers, including the speaker, due to a hung council.

Dirk Kotze, a political scientist from the University of South Africa, said the Democratic Alliance (DA), as a result of infighting, could find itself suffering from the Cope (Congress of the People) syndrome where its leadership continuously fought until the party electoral support deteriorated leading to it becoming one of the minority parties in parliament.

Kotze believed the city could run without a mayor for long as the ANC and its coalition partners might not allow the DA to replace Mashaba.

Even if the DA nominated Mashaba’s replacement the person might not be able to occupy the hot seat due to a hung council, created by the EFF not supporting the DA. The ANC didn’t have the numbers to form the majority.

The provincial government would then be forced to dissolve the council and call by-elections.

Kotze said it was interesting but “confusing” that DA leader Mmusi Maimane showed support for Mashaba. Maimane appeared to endorse Mashaba’s resignation when he attended the media briefing and hailed him as a “hero”.

“Maimane is someone who is supposed to be concerned about Mashaba’s resignation, but he looks quite happy, but the resignation is about the election of Helen Zille as federal chair,” Kotze said.

Mashaba resigned amid his dissatisfaction with the outcome of the federal council election where former party leader Helen Zille was elected as the new federal chairperson, replacing James Selfe.

In a Twitter message Mashaba

said he had to choose between the DA and the country and he chose the country.

He made it clear that he was stepping down because of Zille’s election.

He said he could not reconcile himself with a group of people who believed that race was irrelevant in the discussion of inequality and poverty in SA.

Mashaba said he accepted the mayorship because of his belief in Maimane’s vision of “One South Africa for All”.

He said: “My decision to stand as a mayoral candidate was not motivated by the desire to hold political office, but out of a desire to serve the residents of Johannesburg and to get our city working again.”