Outgoing Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda has admitted that his tenure was not easy but said he managed to stabilise the city so much so that service delivery could be seen.
Gwamanda said no one, especially political parties in the Government of Local Unity (GLU), would name him a failure in turning around the city’s situation.
“My tenure has been difficult, especially with the attacks but I have been able to stabilise the city politically.
“No party in the government of local unity would say I am a failure because they understand the role that I have played,” he said.
He added that the city was stable and functional under his watch.
Gwamanda submitted his resignation letter to Speaker Margaret Arnolds on Tuesday after calls for him to step down mounted.
There were also claims made by civil organisations of him being incompetent as mayor.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Gwamanda dismissed the claims and said he tried his best.
He believed that the submissions made by civil groups were not fundamental enough to call for an impeachment of any politician who would have held office.
They accused him of declining city services, power outages, water cuts, as well as collapsing infrastructure and stalled revenue collection.
Responding to this, he said none of the raised issues can be resolved overnight.
“No mayor has been expected to turn an entire city around with over 20 years of service delivery disruptions in a space of less than two years. It is impossible,” he maintained.
He further added that no mayor has ever faced the pressures he did, and “I swiftly dealt with them and ensured that the city remained afloat to date”.
The ANC welcomed his resignation, saying it is a culmination of robust engagements within ANC structures as well as between the parties represented within the GLU.
The ANC has nominated Finance MMC Dada Morero to be the next mayor of Johannesburg.
Gwamanda will now serve as an MMC in the city following their agreement.
The proposal came in the form of the mayor having to resign and Speaker Arnolds having to resign and then occupying the positions of MMCs.
IOL Politics