From Herman Mashaba to Geoff Makhubo - a timeline of city of Joburg changes

The ANC reclaimed SA's biggest metro on Wednesday. Here's a timeline of how it all happened:

The return of Helen Zille - October 20 2019 

The former Western Cape premier and leader of the DA, Helen Zille's election as the party's federal council chairperson caused tensions within the official opposition, which saw the resignation of Herman Mashaba as the mayor of Joburg.

Mashaba had previously hinted that he would step down should members of the “right-wing” return to the DA.

Hours after Zille's election, the city of Joburg issued a statement in which it invited media to a press briefing. This saw widening speculation that Mashaba would resign, to which Zille responded by saying that Mashaba was under the impression that Zille had the power to fire him from the city. She said this was not so.

“Now I don't have any such power at all. The power of the federal executive of the DA is not to walk to governance all over the country and to say what may or may not happen,” she told eNCA at the time.

The exit of Herman Mashaba - October 21 

On October 21, Mashaba announced his resignation as the mayor of Joburg, on the basis that he would not reconcile with people who resisted his vision of advancing black, previously disadvantaged and poor people.

“The election of Helen Zille as federal council chairperson represents a victory for people in the DA who stand opposed to my beliefs and value system. I cannot reconcile myself with a group of people who believe that race is irrelevant in the discussion of inequality and poverty in SA in 2019,” he said in his resignation speech at the time.

Postponement of election of new mayor - November 28

The EFF, ANC and the DA gathered last week to elect a candidate who would take over as the new mayor of the city, but the election was postponed after council speaker, Vasco da Gama, said a legal opinion was required on what the majority vote meant for the mayoral vote.

The election was postponed, despite the EFF and DA opposing the move. The election was moved to December 4, with city manager Ndivhoniswani Lukhwareni taking charge, pending the election of the new mayor.

ANC reclaims victory - December 4

Having been toppled by the DA and the EFF in 2016, the ANC won back the city of Joburg on Wednesday with a majority of 137 votes, making Geoff Makhubo the new mayor. The DA had nominated Funzela Ngobeni as its candidate. He received 101 votes, while the EFF's Musa Novela got 30 votes.