'It's because I am a black child,' says Gwamanda on calls for his resignation

Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda has defended himself against calls for him to quit, calling it an onslaught against his character as a “black child”.

His statement follows a media briefing by the Joburg Crisis Alliance [JCA] at which the organisation called for his axing. 

JCA is a coalition of civil society organisations including the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse and the Rivonia Circle. 

The alliance says for the city to thrive, “arrogant, incompetent” Gwamanda must go.

However, the embattled minority mayor has dismissed the criticism as a co-ordinated attack, saying that it as though people like him are not fit for positions of power.

He said, “I am sending a message to any young person who is black and previously disadvantaged to steer clear from positions and roles that are otherwise reserved for those who create access for the elite.

“Unfortunately, they cannot bring an issue of corruption because that has not been a part of my administration, we have served under good governance. We have ensured that the historical challenges of the City of Johannesburg are being responded to,” he said.

He said it was unfair that failures in the city, including a dilapidated infrastructure, were his cross to carry when he had had a short stint in office.

“I am being blamed for 55-year-old infrastructure that should have been changed 10 years ago,” he said, adding that he had started deploying strategies on how to respond to them efficiently.

The JCA believes Gwamanda and his mayoral committee should be held accountable for these and “other critical lapses in service delivery to the public”.

The civil society grouping said it had no faith in Gwamanda to arrest the deteriorating situation and was demanding change. 

The JCA also wants:

• a review of the recently implemented prepaid electricity tariffs;
• an end to unplanned water cuts;
• emergency water provision to under-serviced communities;
• decisive and consistent measures to combat corruption and protect whistle-blowers and investigators;
• open, transparent and proper consultation with civil society, business and labour; and
• an end to unplanned electricity load-reduction. 

A demonstration to intensify the calls for Gwamanda to resign is planned for Saturday.

The Sunday Times previously reported there were moves afoot to install the ANC’s Dada Morero as mayor.

The ANC is believed to have clinched a deal with ActionSA and the IFP that would see them joining a government of local unity (GLU).

Morero is now the city’s MMC for finance and had a brief stint as mayor last year.

ActionSA Gauteng chairperson Funzi Ngobeni previously said the party wants to secure the speaker position in the Johannesburg city council, ousting the African Independent Congress's Margaret Arnolds.

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