Dissolve Joburg Council and hold election

7 September 2023

That wildly unsuitable cabinet minister, Lindiwe Zulu, previously charged with Small Business, and now with Social Development and fond of wearing Cuban military uniform, said that the ghastly Johannesburg fire in which 77 people died was caused by Apartheid. The failed minister (where are the small businesses?) did not mention that the Johannesburg Metro Council is the owner of the building and during the ANC’s ruling period of almost 30 years permitted inhuman conditions to develop and become the norm in buildings all over the City.

What the minister should have considered and welcomed is the proposal of the Democratic Alliance in Johannesburg. The official opposition stated – before the fire—that the current ANC/EFF/PA coalition was inherently unstable, that it was unable to administer the city and provide services of an acceptable standard. The reason is simple, this coalition is focused on positions, power, salaries of office bearers and trying to keep the ANC, EFF and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) in line. There is no energy left to focus on the citizens and the job   needed.

The political problem is that the voters, in their wisdom, elected a plethora of one-person parties, many of which, it is sad to say, stand for very little other than jobs and perks for themselves. They have little power or influence and only become of consequence when the larger parties need their vote to establish a coalition. One of the larger parties, the Patriotic Alliance (PA), has demonstrated over-and- over again that it cannot be trusted to stick to any arrangement. Its leaders have stated clearly that they are not ideological; they are interested only in office and they will swop sides whenever it suits them.

What Johannesburg desperately needs, is stable, principled, caring government, provided by politicians who have the skills, the knowledge and the dedication to make the city government work. While it is unlikely that any political party will on its own secure a stable majority, coalitions are the future of South Africa –and Johannesburg – and coalitions have to work. The alternative is a continuation and a worsening of the filth, the degradation, collapsing roads and services and buildings and of the looming financial crisis.

We read in the Sunday Times that South Africa is running out of money. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the country to pay its way. The same will apply to Johannesburg. The current coalition in power does not possess the skills, the will, or the electoral   mandate to take the hard decisions.

Already, the city of Tshwane, under the brave leadership of its outstanding young mayor, Cilliers Brink, is applying austerity measures because the city cannot afford to spend money it does not have. He also intends seeing that the citizens, of all colours, of the capital city of South Africa receive the services to which they are entitled.

Johannesburg, on the other hand, has its second puppet mayor in a row. This one, Mr Gwamanda, in office by the courtesy of the EFF and the ANC, has no support base, no ability to run an R80 billion budget and no respect by councillors or officials.

The DA has courageously proposed the dissolution of this Council and the holding of fresh elections. This puts power in the hands of the voters, able to vote for the current mess, or to start afresh with a respected mayor, a multi-party mayoral committee of competent people and a determination to put things right.

Douglas Gibson is a former opposition chief whip and former ambassador to Thailand