Johannesburg - The DA in Joburg says it hopes the newly-elected Joburg mayor Geoff Makhubo will not undo the “incredible” work done by the previously DA-led coalition government.
The caucus stated on Thursday that it accepts Makhubo’s election which put an end to the DA’s three years of governance in Joburg.
“We hope that Cllr Makhubo will not undo the incredible feats which the DA and its coalition partners have achieved during our term of office. We have set a high standard of governance and service delivery in Johannesburg; one which we hope the ANC and Clr Makhubo’s administration will uphold. We will fight to ensure that none of the gains we made in transforming the lives of Joburg’s residents will be reversed or comprised,” the party said.
Makhubo is an ANC councillor and was elected on Wednesday. The ANC was able to claw back leadership in the city with the help of smaller political parties. It is suspected that a DA member voted for ANC.
The election of the new mayor follows the resignation of Herman Mashaba in October. His last day in office was on November 27. His departure sparked widespread speculation of political negotiation about who was going to take over.
Mashaba has spoken out against the election of Makhubo, calling it a betrayal of residents wishes for political benefit.
When he left office, he spoke boastfully about his achievements which included the insourcing of workers. The DA caucus’ statement also boasted about the governance it had achieved.
“We advanced our programme of Diphethogo to bring meaningful transformation to the lives of our 5 million residents. Over three years, we delivered more title deeds to homeowners than any other administration in the City’s history. We reversed years of exploitative outsourcing practices by employing thousands of cleaners and security guards on permanent contracts,” the statement stated.
“We initiated Operation Buya Mthetho and put more JMPD officers out on the streets to curb lawlessness and reduce crime. Last, but not least, we out to celebrate the fact that we also leave the City in one of its healthiest ever financial position; in a better state than what we inherited. Recognition from Treasury affirmed this healthy status.”