WATCH | Gwamanda feels he is targeted as a black man

Gwamanda

Johannesburg — The calls for Johannesburg Mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, to resign have grown increasingly louder as political parties and civic organisations are all pushing for his resignation.

Gwamanda has faced backlash for his poor showing as Johannesburg mayor.

ActionSA and the African National Congress (ANC) are among the parties who have called for him to resign.

“ActionSA has contemplated the fact that it holds a significant number of seats in Johannesburg, and we have come to the conclusion that the Party cannot sit on its hands anymore as the City continues its downward spiral to the detriment of Joburg residents,” party leader, Herman Mashaba, said.

Gwamanda has hit back at his critics and said it was an onslaught on his character as a “black child” and he dismissed the criticism as a co-ordinated attack and said it is as if people like him are not fit for a position of power, TimesLIVE reported.

“I am sending a message to any young person who is black and previously disadvantaged to steer clear from positions and roles that are otherwise reserved for those who create access for the elite.”

“Unfortunately, they cannot bring an issue of corruption because that has not been a part of my administration, we have served under good governance. We have ensured that the historical challenges of the City of Johannesburg are being responded to,” he said.

According to EWN, he said he would not resign unless the parties within the ANC-led coalition called for him to resign. He asserted the party cannot issue requests about who holds the city’s highest position and the decision lies with the parties within the coalition, not the opposition council.

“I’m not saying that I will not be resigning, I’m saying it’s a collective decision that will be taken not by the ANC, but by the coalition to come to a determination as to whether the assignment that I have been deployed to achieve has been achieved or I failed dismally,” he said.

According to the Daily Maverick, many civic organisations part of the Johannesburg Crisis Alliance (JCA) have voiced their concerns over the state of Johannesburg, and are set to protest on Saturday 27 July to demand that Gwamanda steps down.

The JCA comprises the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), Action for Accountability, Defend Our Democracy and the Johannesburg Inner-City Partnership.

During a media briefing on Thursday, it said the current crisis in Johannesburg reflected how the city handles the electricity surcharge, tariff increase, and prolonged water supply issues.

The JCA wants the Mayor and his committee to be held accountable for their actions and the other critical lapses in service delivery. It does not believe that Gwamanda have the skills to resolve the issues in Johannesburg and new leadership should be installed in the city,

OUTA CEO, Wayne Duvenhage, said the protest action was the first step to take Gwamanda down and it has also considered writing to President Ramaphosa to add pressure if the JCA’s demands were unmet.

The JCA’s demands include Gwamanda’s resignation, a review of prepaid electricity tariffs, an end to unplanned water cuts and emergency load reduction, and open and transparent consultation with civil society, business and labour in the city’s governance.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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