COSATU Gauteng welcomes the resignation of Kabelo Gwamanda and supports Dada Morero as the incoming mayor of Joburg

14 August 2024

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Gauteng welcomes the resignation of the City of Johannesburg Mayor, Mr Kabelo Gwamanda. Mr Gwamanda was the wrong choice from the start and a mayor by default. The ongoing challenges in the City of Joburg which include but are not limited to continuous lack of water supply, the R200 prepaid electricity surcharge, and dilapidated infrastructure in the city placed the first citizen under huge amounts of pressure and frustration.

COSATU calls upon the Johannesburg Council to act swiftly in finalising the process of filling the position of a mayor and ensuring that the candidate fielded for this position is a capable individual who will prioritise the interests of the people above all else, and work diligently to address the challenges facing the city.

Having said that, COSATU Gauteng has noted and welcomes the announcement of comrade Dada Morero as the ANC mayoral candidate. Comrade Dada has over the years proven to be a capable leader in all the portfolios he was deployed in including his current position as the MMC for Finance. We firmly believe that his experience would be the change needed to return the city to its former glory and to ease the pressure off the citizens of Johannesburg.

Whilst COSATU supports the candidature of Morero as Mayor, upon election, we expect him to relieve citizens from the prepaid electricity surcharge, work towards paying the debts the City owes to workers, rebuild the dilapidated infrastructure, address safety and security concerns in the city centre and townships, and strengthen accountability.

Issued by Amos Monyela, Provincial Chairperson, COSATU Gauteng, 14 August 2024