By Zukile Majova
Political Editor
Gayton McKenzie, the main contender for the job of Jo’burg Mayor Thapelo Amad, plans to move the mayor’s office to Hillbrow.
The decaying part of the CBD is a citadel of drug trafficking, the hijacking of buildings by foreigners and the provision of shelter for violent criminals.
McKenzie, a former jailbird himself, says he wants to set up a base in Hillbrow primarily to get rid of illegal foreigners and fight cable theft.
“I will never give any guarantee or promise that I will not deal decisively with illegal foreigners if I do become mayor, you can keep your mayorship because my main focus will be on cable mafias and illegal foreigners.
“I will chase them out of Joburg. My office shall move to Hillbrow.”
The leader of the Patriotic Alliance is already in the ruling coalition led by the ANC and the EFF.
But he has announced plans to resign as mayor of the Central Karoo District to lead the R87 billion City of Jo’burg.
City Power spends over R100 million a year on 24-hour security for its substations and replaces thousands of kilometres of cable that is stolen by thieves every day.
The McKenzie campaign for the city’s top job comes after an announcement that ActionSA will be tabling a motion of no confidence against Amad in the next council meeting on 25 April.
The leader of Al Jama-ah, who is leading the city with less than 1% of the vote, has tied it to a R9 billion loan, apparently to build a smart city and fast track service delivery.
Numbers at council still favour the ANC-EFF coalition as the original DA coalition — ActionSA, Freedom Front Plus, Inkatha Freedom Party, African Christian Democratic Party and Cope — has been weakened further with the Congress of the People now voting with the ANC in Gauteng metros.
A new mayor then is most likely to come from the ANC-EFF coalition even if Amad is successfully deposed.
Pictured above: Gayton McKenzie
Image source: @GaytonMcK
