Preparations to elect new Joburg mayor underway

Speaker of the City of Johannesburg Nonceba Molwele on Monday said they were currently working with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to prepare for the election of a new mayor.

This is to replace Geoff Makhubo who died from COVID-related complications last week.

Makhubo’s passing also means the dissolution of his executive mayoral committee.

Molwele said her office would call an extraordinary council meeting where councillors would cast their votes.

The African National Congress (ANC) won back control of the city from the Democratic Alliance through a coalition with smaller parties in 2019, the DA through an informal relationship with the Economic Freedom Fighters had been in charge since the 2016 local government elections.

A government of local unity is expected to elect yet another ANC leader as mayor of the City of Joburg.

A coalition between the governing party and its smaller counterparts has seen the ANC government equally sharing mayoral executive positions.

Molwele said sections of the structures dictated that a vacancy has\d to be filled when necessary.

“It means that after elections of the council, it then says 14 days. But in this instance, when it is necessary.”

Molwele has also rubbished claims that some of Makhubo’s executive council members are holding onto the perks associated with being Mayco members, these include bodyguards and state-sponsored vehicles.

“They understand what the law says, they understand what the Structures Act says.”

Molwele said no agreement on a date had been reached yet.

-EWN

In other news – Big blow as Babes Wodumo, Cassper Nyovest, Master KG & these other artists’ music to be taken off-air

Mzansi stars; Babes Wodumo, Cassper Nyovest, Black Coffee, Kelly Khumalo, MasterKG, DJ Maphorisa, and Kaba de Small are some of the artists whose music will be removed from the SABC radio and television stations playlist.

The South African Music Performance Rights Association (Sampra) is going the litigation route after the SABC ignored several letters from the organization to pay royalties to them. Learn More

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