New mayor’s questionable past dealings
ON WEDNESDAY, the City of Joburg was taken back by the corrupt ANC with the help of some members of the previous multi-party coalition government, as well as some DA councillors.
I share the anger of the five million residents of Joburg that the work of turning the city around has been destroyed by the election of Geoff Makhubo.
The fact that Makhubo was elected with the help of some members of the previous multi-party coalition government, together with a number of DA councillors, demonstrates everything that is wrong with our political system. The considerations were all about personal and political benefit and not about the residents of Joburg.
Late last year, amaBhungane released an exposé in which it showed how Makhubo – and Parks Tau, the former mayor of the city – orchestrated a windfall of at least R30 million for Makhubo by allowing him to unduly act as broker for Gupta-linked Regiments Fund Managers, giving the fund managers unfettered access to lucrative deals within the City.
More recently, the city has uncovered how another Gupta-linked company associated with Regiments, Cedar Park Properties, 39 Pty Ltd (Cedar Park), took transfer of the land on which the Sandton Gautrain Station is situated, effectively for free.
The fact that some DA councillors elected to vote for Makhubo over their own candidate demonstrates why I had to leave the DA. The DA of today is clearly not the DA that I joined.
That my former coalition partners have abandoned the multi-party government speaks clearly to the fact that I am not alone in my view. They did not see a prospect of working with the DA in a coalition that is open, engages with different solutions to our complex problems and is willing to set aside differences in the interests of the residents.
While I am deeply saddened and angered for the residents of Joburg, it is clear for everyone to see that the DA was ready to push me out of government in Joburg.
As I said in my resignation speech: “It is not my nature to hang around to be pushed.”
Those DA councillors who voted for Geoff Makhubo were clearly lined up to vote for the ANC’s motions of no confidence against our government.
Instead of having a mayor who fights corruption, Joburg will now have a mayor who is allegedly corrupt.
This is why I cannot give up on the project to save Joburg and South Africa.
The people of South Africa need a solution that places our residents at the centre, and not the self-interest displayed in council this week.
HERMAN MASHABA | Former mayor of the
City of Joburg