CRY, THE BELOVED CITY
Joburg left stunned as former ANC mayor Moerane passes away after car crash, DA’s Phalatse salutes him as someone she called a friend
FORMER mayor of the City of Joburg Mpho Moerane has passed away after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash.
At a media briefing yesterday, the ANC and Moerane’s family announced that doctors had done all they could for him but he had failed to come out of a coma. The Star understands that the former mayor had been on life support for some time and had not regained consciousness.
The paper understands that his family had been advised by the experienced medical team treating him that there was nothing else they could do for him. Top ANC leaders were seen at the hospital, including former ANC spokesperson Keith Khoza and former Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina.
Some media houses had announced as early as Tuesday that Moerane had passed away.
According to Moerane’s family, his accident occurred when he drove into a rock in Bowling Avenue. He was on his way home from a meeting in Bryanston when his car careened across a rock.
The family denied that there was any foul play involved in his accident. There were murmurings of witchcraft among some members of the ANC Joburg region and rumours that Moerane’s car was tampered with. But all such speculation has been dismissed by his family.
In an impromptu press conference last night, a family spokesperson, flanked by high-ranking members of the ANC, confirmed that Moerane had passed away at 5.54pm.
Family spokesperson Mike Maile said Moerane’s wife, Fikile, had been at his bedside since he was admitted to the hospital last week. He said the family were facing a difficult time and they would communicate funeral arrangements at a later stage.
Maile said he did not appreciate the rumours before Moerane’s death and he was not impressed by people leaking information to the media. Meanwhile, the family have not confirmed anything.
The panel declined to respond to questions regarding the upcoming ANC regional conference. “It’s very difficult for the family, and messages of support should be sent to the family,” Maile said.
Moerane had been expected to contest the mayoral candidate position against Dada Morero in the ANC regional conference scheduled to be held at the end of the month.
Moerane had been hopeful that he would come back as mayor once more after serving as the city’s number one citizen for a few weeks before the local government elections last year.
The multi-party coalition led by the DA subsequently took over governance of the city.
The current Joburg mayor, Mpho Phalatse, said she had received the news of Moerane’s passing with numbing sadness.
“Councillor Moerane, although seated across the aisle of council, was always eager to engage on the development of the city, and on how we as leaders in Johannesburg could collectively work to serve the interests of residents, because before all else we are servants of the people, not just party-political representatives. ‘Bitso’ (my namesake), as we affectionately used to call each other, will forever hold a special place in my heart – not just as a colleague but also as someone I called a friend,” Phalatse said.
She added that the city, through the Office of the Speaker, would be in contact with the Moerane family and the ANC to offer its assistance to the family.
“Robala ka khotso, Bitso,” she said.