From resignation to rest: Six must-read stories on Herman Mashaba

Outgoing Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba has been making news headlines since announcing his resignation on Monday.

Mashaba made the big reveal at a press conference, during which he cited the election of Helen Zille as the federal council chair for the DA as his main reason for calling it quits.

Here are six Mashaba stories you must read:

Resignation speculation

Insiders within the DA confirmed to TimesLIVE on Sunday that Mashaba would be announcing his resignation on Monday. Mashaba had also told his colleagues within the party that should Zille win, he would step down. 

Mashaba’s big reveal

On Monday, Mashaba confirmed that he had tendered his resignation as the mayor of Johannesburg and will serve until November 27 to give the municipality time to find a suitable replacement.

Mashaba said the outcome of the federal council chair elections was telling of how much the DA had changed. “The DA I signed up for is no longer the DA that emerged from the recent federal council meeting.”

DA’s commitment to Joburg 

Shortly after Mashaba’s announcement, the DA announced that it would hold an urgent meeting to discuss a way forward for the party. Reflecting on the progress made by the DA and its coalition partners, Solly Malatsi said all parties have done well and that the DA would continue to deliver for the residents of the city of Johannesburg.

“The resignation of Mr Mashaba as mayor of Johannesburg does not signal an end to the DA’s commitment to the people of Johannesburg and SA.”

‘Mashaba is avoiding accountability,’ ANC

While Mashaba’s resignation was met with dismay by the public and some politicians, the ruling party in the greater Johannesburg region said the outgoing mayor was dodging accountability. ANC regional spokesperson Jolidee Matongo claimed the city was in a financial crisis and would no longer be able to pay its employees, among other things.

“His resignation is informed by the dire financial crisis that he has plunged the city of Johannesburg into. He has over time been able to get away with lies about the financial affairs of the city.”

Zille reacts - ‘what went wrong, Herman?’

Helen Zille on Tuesday shared a screenshot of a tweet by Herman Mashaba, in which he said she was not racist. The tweet which reads, in part: “In all the years I have known Helen Zille, anyone calling her racist is actually a racist herself/himself,” is dated March 2019.

Mashaba is not joining EFF

Mashaba shut down the rumour that he would be joining the DA’s coalition partner, EFF. He said while he respects the partnership between the two parties, he will take a break after officially resigning on November 27. “My interest is to serve the residents of Joburg to the best of my abilities until 27 [November] and then get some rest.”

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