ActionSA threatens Joburg mayor with motion of no confidence

One month into office, City of Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda is set to delivery his first State of the City Address on Tuesday. However, the mayor will do so with a possible motion of no confidence being tabled against him by ActionSA.

ActionSA threatens to table the motion if the mayor does not address allegations of fraud levelled against him.

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“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”, says ActionSA Johannesburg leader, Funzi Ngobeni.

FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

Soon after being voted in as mayor with the help of the ANC-EFF coalition, former mayor Mpho Phalatse issued a statement accusing Gwamanda of running a ponzi scheme that ripped off many in the city.

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The People of Joburg deserve a Mayor they can trust, not a swindler or a scammer!
Statement by DA Caucus Leader Mpho Phalatse

Issued: Saturday, 6 May 2023

On 5 May 2023, Cllr Kabelo Gwamanda was sworn in as Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg Municipality. pic.twitter.com/a8Gg45Nlot

— DA Joburg Caucus (@DA_JHB) May 6, 2023

Phalatse had said in the statement “It is alleged that through his entity iThemba Lama Afrika, scammed innocent residents into investing in a funeral/investment scheme. However, the investors were left hanging dry when it was time to claim their benefits.”

‘GWAMANDA WAS VETTED’

Action SA has since accused Gwamanda of being elusive when it comes to media opportunities or addressing the allegations.

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“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”.

“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,” adds Ngobeni.

On 8 May, Gwamanda’s party Al Jama-ah party leader Ganief Hendricks had confirmed that Gwamanda had been vetted by the party.

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“We did the necessary checks to prevent any embarrassment as what happened to the mayor in Tshwane,” says Hendricks.

Hendricks had further accused the DA and Phalatse of being ‘sore losers’.

“Since DA’s Plan A dismally failed, they – as sore losers – hacked other plans; they opted for Plan B with the sly intentions of not only ousting him but to plunge the city once again into chaos and disarray. They do this with partners such as ActionSA to worm their way back in to supposedly ‘rescue’ the city that they partially ruined!” he said.

This article was originally published by APHIWE NGWENYA.