ANC-Aligned SANCO confirms ANC’s intention to table Motion of No Confidence

1 August 2019

I have learnt through a march to the City last week, orchestrated by the ANC- aligned wing of SANCO, and attended by ANC Councillors in Johannesburg, that the ANC intends to table a motion of no confidence against me as the Mayor of Johannesburg.

The march was attended by ANC top brass such as Geoff Makhubo, current ANC Johannesburg Region Chairperson, who allegedly also confirmed this to their followers.

Earlier this week, I met with the alleged true representatives of SANCO in the Johannesburg region, who distanced themselves from the ANC’s political ploy against the multi-party administration in Johannesburg.

While the motion will, no doubt, present various pretences to justify it, the simple truth is that the ANC has been trying to regain power in Johannesburg from day one.

It has taken the form of orchestrating protests of former Jozi@Work beneficiaries, efforts to destabilise the union environment, weaponising Chapter 9 Institutions and Provincial Government against the City, the filing of frivolous criminal charges and prior motions of no confidence.

The question that every resident should ask is why and why now?

The answer is that the taps of corruption and tenderprenuership have been shut down by the multi-party government’s crackdown on corruption.

Indeed, the on-going investigation into corruption within the Alexander Renewal Project is progressively showing how resources meant for development within the City were looted to benefit the ANC and their connected few.

With over 5000 cases under investigation by the City’s anti-corruption unit, totalling more than R33 billion in expenditure, the ANC’s ability to finance a local government election in 2021 is severely impacted. This has included 5 members of the ANC’s former Mayoral Committee being implicated in serious wrongdoing.

Indeed, Cllr Makhubo is alleged to have masterminded a R30 million windfall to his company, Molelwane Consulting, by unduly acting as a broker for Regiments Fund Managers, giving the fund managers unfettered access to lucrative deals within the City. This relationship continued after he was appointed MMC of Finance under the previous Mayor, Parks Tau’s administration. A criminal investigation into this matter is still on-going.

Now that the taps of corruption have run dry and their looting of public finances is being exposed, the ANC is becoming increasingly desperate.

The simple truth of the matter is that the work of the multi-party government is turning around the decline of Johannesburg. Infrastructure backlogs are being reversed, clinic hours are being extended, the very first drug rehabilitation centres are being opened, JMPD has become more effective than ever before in tackling crime and an Inner City project, with R20 billion worth of investment committed to date, is emerging that will forever change Johannesburg.

The ANC is determined to prevent a situation where it must contest a 2021 election in Johannesburg comparing its dismal record of failure against the successes of the multi-party government, and for its campaign to be deprived of the proceeds of corruption.

My leadership of this multi-party government has been based on consultation, engagement and a willingness to work with parties to bring change to Johannesburg. It will take many years to turn around the mess that the ANC left in Johannesburg, but it will be done.

Our residents need to make their voices heard. In 2016, they sent an unequivocal message that they do not want the ANC to govern Johannesburg when they were reduced from 57% to 44%.

Now the wish of our residents to keep the ANC out of government, along with the looting and failures that characterised their administration, is under threat.

Issued by Olebogeng Molatlhwa, Assistant Director – Mayoral Communications, 1 August 2019