Big day for Joburg politics: Morero faces another no-confidence motion as Zille reveals next steps

Mayor of Joburg Dada Morero at the special council meeting in Johannesburg, 27 October 2022. Picture: Nigel Sibanda The political landscape in Johannesburg could change on Thursday with Mayor Dada Morero facing another motion of no confidence and Helen Zille expected to make an announcement concerning the city. Councillors in the Johannesburg municipal council will debate Morero’s fitness to hold office.

This comes after Al Jama-ah and its minority party partners tabled a motion of no confidence against the mayor. This motion was delayed for a few weeks to allow the speaker of the council to consult with lawyers after there was a request for the vote to be taken through a secret ballot. The ANC’s regional spokesperson, Mantonmbi Nkosi, toldThe Citizenthat her party is still engaging with its coalition partners in the hope that the motion is withdrawn in council on Thursday.

“The matter is also at national level and the office bearers are also dealing with it,” she said. Meanwhile, the Minority Governing Parties (MGP), the group of parties that proposed the motion, confirmed toThe Citizenthat the motion will proceed. PA deputy president Kenny Kunene said his party also has grievances with Morero, but said his party will continue to engage the ANC and the other coalition partners on a way forward.

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“We are in a coalition with the ANC and we should ideally support an ANC mayor, but we have some grievances with this mayor,” he said. Meanwhile, the EFF, which is the second largest party in the ANC’s coalition government, would not indicate if it would protect the mayor from the motion of no confidence. Its provincial chairperson in Gauteng, Nkululeko Dunga, said: “We will vote against the ANC on any item if an opportunity arises.” It is not clear if Dunga was referring to theANC in Johannesburg or in Ekurhuleni. The EFF left its coalition with the ANC in Ekurhuleni because of differences with the regional structure there.

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