Joburg Mayor Gwamanda must come clean on criminal accusations during State of the City - or face ActionSA-sponsored MoNC
5 June 2023
ActionSA believes that City of Johannesburg Mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, must be completely honest with the city’s residents about the criminal allegations of fraud he is facing in his first State of the City Address (SOCA) on Tuesday, or ActionSA will table a motion of no confidence (MONC) against him.
We cannot allow the economic capital of South Africa to be run by a mayor who is facing serious allegations of scamming residents of funeral insurance investments at a time when service delivery is on the decline across the city - with potholes, power outages and water shedding all on the rise.
Since his election in May, Gwamanda has consistently ducked from media opportunities to come clean over the serious allegations he is facing. Having missed a press conference, he organised himself, to explain the situation.
This is while the ANC-EFF coalition continues to shield Gwamanda from accountability by limiting public engagements and only allowing him to give scripted remarks.
ActionSA believes that a situation cannot continue where Gwamanda remains mayor of this important city at a time when he is accused of scamming the very residents of the city he swore and oath to serve. That is why we are demanding accountability in this regard.
Not only is Gwamanda - who is a compromised candidate between the ANC-EFF after the failure of Thapelo Amad - accused of serious offences, but he has also consistently shown to be unable to articulate a vision for the city to restore good governance and service delivery.
This means the residents of Johannesburg have been left to fend for themselves while the ANC-EFF elect a compromised candidate in order for them to remain in power in the City of Johannesburg.
ActionSA, a party committed to ethical leadership, remains committed to the residents of Johannesburg, and that is why we are demanding accountability. Johannesburg is simply too important to allow the ANC-EFF and Mayor Gwamanda to get away with theatrics and possible criminality.
Issued by Funzi Ngobeni, ActionSA COJ Caucus Leader, 5 June 2023
