KABELO Gwamanda has been elected as the new mayor of the City of Joburg.
The Al Jama-Ah councillor prevailed over Funzi Ngobeni of ActionSA and former mayor and DA councillor, Mpho Phalatse on Friday, 5 May.
Gwamanda, who was supported by the ANC, the EFF, the PA, the GOOD, Cope, ATM, APC, PAC and AH, received 139 votes out of 266 votes. Ngobeni received 59, while Phalatse got 68 votes.
In his first speech as mayor, Gwamanda promised Joburg residents that his government would provide services worth paying for rather than demand payment because it's legislated.
He said regime change did not affect service delivery as it was alleged in the media and by opposition parties.
Gwamanda is replacing his party leader, Thapelo Amad, who resigned last month (April), a day before he faced a vote of no confidence. He said as GLU, their mandate, which is their 11 strategic objectives, was to address critical matters that affect the daily lives experience of the city residents.
“These objectives are such that they address the context in which the residents interpret what service delivery translates into for them and specific to each and every region. Mine as the executive mayor is to add but one priority that will serve to strengthen all nine pillars of the GLU strategic objectives, and it is to improve the quality of service as standard practice across all departments and entities,” said Gwamanda.
