In fresh blow to ANC, opposition takes mayor seat in Johannesburg
South African ruling African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma gestures as he gives his speech during the ANC closing rally campaign for the municipal elections at Ellis Par Stadium on July 31, 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
Johannesburg, the country’s largest city and its economic nerve centre, is the third big metropolitan the ANC has lost following municipal elections this month.
The party of Nelson Mandela emerged as the largest party in the city after the August 3 vote but failed to secure an outright majority.
JOHANNESBURG, Tuesday
South Africa’s ruling ANC on Tuesday lost control of the economic hub of Johannesburg for the first time since the end of apartheid, after local government councillors elected an opposition candidate as mayor.
Mr Herman Mashaba of the liberal centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) takes over from incumbent mayor and African National Congress (ANC) candidate Parks Tau, just days after the ruling party was also booted from power in the capital Pretoria.
“The mayoral results is as follows: 125 for Parks Tau and 144 for Herman Mashaba,” announced city council speaker Vasco da Gama, as DA councillors lifted their candidate onto their shoulders in celebration.
Johannesburg, the country’s largest city and its economic nerve centre, is the third big metropolitan the ANC has lost following municipal elections this month.
The party of Nelson Mandela emerged as the largest party in the city after the August 3 vote but failed to secure an outright majority, taking 44.5 per cent compared to the DA’s 38.37.
With 11 per cent of the vote, the radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) found itself in the powerful position of kingmaker and vowed not to give any of its council votes to the ANC.
Mr Mashaba’s election came after a marathon 11-hour sitting at Johannesburg city hall, where ANC councillor Nonhlanhla Mthembu collapsed and later died, delaying proceedings into the late evening.
Mr Mashaba paid tribute to 50-year-old Mthembu before vowing to “bring change” to the city.
“People today with no toilets are expected to live in a city regarded as a world class city,” he said.
“This is not fair, this is not what South Africa should be. Let’s get this city working again so we can give our people dignity.”
A successful businessman and millionaire whose rags-to-riches story is well known, the 56-year-old Mashaba is widely seen as a political rookie.
Born to a domestic worker mother, he is a university undergraduate drop-out whose beauty product business became a household brand in South Africa.
Mr Mashaba campaigned on a platform of job creation and clean governance.
“I will work with my team to investigate to ensure all the tenders given prior to us coming into office were given properly and fairly and openly,” he told local television channel ENCA after his election.
