ANC regional chair and finance member of the mayoral committee (MMC) Loyiso Masuku has been elected deputy executive mayor of Johannesburg, unopposed.
The role was recently introduced to the council through a motion in a previous sitting.
It was initially recommended to the municipality by the co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC in 2023 through a letter, which sat gathering dust until this year.
According to a report to the council, the establishment and election of a deputy mayor will strengthen executive leadership, ensure continuity of governance and enhance service delivery.
Over time, the executive responsibilities of the mayor have expanded due to increased service delivery demands, intergovernmental relations and heightened oversight obligations.
“In light of the increasing complexity of governance and service delivery demands in the City of Johannesburg, it has become necessary to revisit the MEC’s proposal and consider the election of an executive deputy mayor to provide additional executive support to the executive mayor.”
The administration cited delays that have impeded the tabling of the report, including the revolving door of mayorship and several changes in the post of speaker.
“These transitions limited the opportunity to consider the proposal amid other urgent governance priorities. These leadership changes constrained the council’s ability to fully consider proposals emanating from other spheres of government, despite the city’s commitment to effective governance and service delivery.”
The deputy executive mayor’s role will be established as a member of the mayoral committee, while supplementing the work of the mayor, standing in when the mayor is absent or unavailable, and sharing the executive workload.
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