Lungani Zungu
Mpho Moerane is waiting in the wings to take over as Joburg mayor after the ANC in greater Joburg endorsed him to replace Jolidee Matonga, who died in a car crash last week.
Moerane, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s backer, said he would wait until the council elects him before he pops the champagne corks.
He was previously one of the three candidates interviewed by the ANC national leadership before the party nominated the late Matonga to be Joburg mayor.
Matonga took over from Geoff Makhubo who died due to Covid-19 in July.
To avoid the jostling for the mayor position, the ANC did not interview candidates again and they were instead judged on their performance in the previous interviews. They ultimately decided to endorse Moerane.
But this has angered some ANC members.
Katlego Mokoena of the Joburg ANC said: “We hoped the party would interview people to decide on the member for the mayoral job.”
Moerane has been rising over the years, in the party and government ranks.
He is currently the MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services in Joburg.
Moerane will serve as mayor until 1 November when the country holds the local government elections. This is the end of the local government term, five years after the 2016 local government polls.
With parties like the EFF, DA and Herman Mashaba’s Action SA campaigning hard in Joburg, it is not certain that the ANC will get a clear majority.
At stake is a budget of more than R73.3 billion, making Joburg the richest municipality in the country.
The ANC in Joburg confirmed Moerane’s endorsement on Tuesday.
All that is left is the council sitting before he takes the mayoral chains.
“I will do my best when I’m elected to honour comrade Matongo by delivering services to the people of Joburg,” he said.
Image source: @Twitter
