Kunene to be sworn in as councillor ahead of Joburg mayoral committee announcement

Newly elected Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Amad's team is finally taking shape.

After the ousting of former mayor Mpho Phalatse and her swift replacement by Amad last week, coalition partners — the ANC, EFF, Patriotic Alliance and minority parties — were negotiating how they would co-govern the city.

Those discussions have ushered PA deputy president Kenny Kunene into the Joburg chambers. There is strong indication he is going to join the mayoral committee and is poised to take up the transport portfolio.

Kunene was also recently named the PA's premier candidate for Gauteng. His deployment to the city council builds a record of public service ahead of the national elections next year. There is also an indication that colleague Anthea Natasha is to take up human settlements.

The PA deputy president said he would follow in PA president Gayton McKenzie's footsteps and donate his salary to the needy, saying his new journey was about showing servant leadership and commitment to a critical portfolio.

"I have sympathy for Joburg residents who have grown tired of changes in coalition governance, but I have confidence that the new government of local unity will be stable and hardworking," he told TimesLIVE. 

"We have to do more than ever with less. I understand the scale of the challenge, and I am ready to roll up my sleeves and work," Kunene added. 

EFF leader Julius Malema also indicated at the party's plenum last week that fighters would no longer be on the sidelines ushering parties into power.

In line with the announcement by Malema, the red berets in Joburg are seemingly joining the government of local unity (GLU) coalition, with EFF Joburg chair Sepetlele Raseruthe and councillor Ennie Makhafola taking up public safety and health and social development portfolios, respectively.

"It’s easy to stand on the outside criticising. Once you actually have to face the challenges of daily governance you realise it’s not so simple, so I think all the parties are keen to show what they're made of and prove to voters they are not just about talk," Kunene said.

ANC Joburg chair Dada Morero is rumoured to be taking on the finance portfolio, while his colleague Loyiso Masuku is poised to assume her formerly held group corporate and shared services post, and ANC council whip Eunice Mgcina takes up development planning.

The ANC's Jack Sekwaila is to take on environment and infrastructure services, while Nomoya Mnisi assumes her formerly held economic development position, albeit for two weeks when Morero was mayor briefly last year.

The last portfolio, community development, has not been concluded, but a minority party, either the African Transformation movement (ATM) or the African Independent Congress (AIC), is to assume the post once negotiations have been concluded.

Kunene has confirmed he will be sworn into the chambers as a councillor on Friday morning and the official mayoral committee swearing in ceremony is likely to take place shortly after.

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.