DA wins big in Joburg City taking top two positions

“I was never going to be the mayor of Joburg with only 16% of the votes”.

This is what ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said late last night as he opened the door for DA’s Dr Mpho Phalatse to clinch Johannesburg’s mayoral chain in what was the dramatic day in the run-up to election of the City’s council.

After an 11 hour sitting, Phalatse was elected by 144 votes, while ANC candidate and incumbent Mpho Moerane, received 121 votes of the ballots cast – immediately ending his almost two months as the mayor of Joburg.

In Johannesburg, the ANC received 33.6% of the vote translating into 91 seats, they were followed by the DA with 26.14% who got 71 seats with ActionSA coming in third place at 16.05% and received 44 seats. This means Phalatse received votes from ActionSA including the EFF.

Phalatse’s victory was preceded by DA’s decision to elbow Mashaba who had set his eyes on the mayoral chain.

Mashaba said he thought he had the backing of the DA until on Saturday when the party dropped its "bombshell" that it would field its own candidate, Phalatse.

"You can't be mayor with 16%. For us to have been able to govern, we needed to be in a coalition with the DA and they gave us the impression they wanted to talk up until Saturday when they dropped the bombshell and dropped all of us," he said.

Claiming they were not going to allow the DA to give Joburg to the ANC, Mashaba said ActionSA as well as the EFF agreed to support the DA's mayoral candidate.

"ActionSA agreed where it contested it would remove the ANC from power and today [yesterday] we did that, not only here in City of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni but we'll do it in Tshwane as well.

"I want to be clear that we're not in coalition with the DA, the DA governs through a minority party, with marginal numbers. Our door remains open to the DA but they must talk to us and the EFF. We voted as one bloc, they must talk to us as one bloc,” Mashaba said.

Menwhile, DA councillor Vasco da Gama was also elected speaker of the City of Johannesburg council.

Receiving 147 votes out of 265 votes cast, Da Gama emerged victorious with the DA erupting in cheers when Joburg acting city manager Floyd Brink made the announcement last night.

The ANC's Eunice Mgcina received 118 votes for the speaker post.

The DA had 71 seats in council and would have needed support from other parties to secure the win.

Da Gama previously served as speaker when Mashaba was the mayor of Johannesburg.

Not all councillors were present during the meeting with Brink having announced earlier that only 267 councillors had signed the register.

The day didn’t go without any drama. Five hours into the City of Johannesburg's first council meeting following the local government elections, all it had managed to achieve was swear in of all 270 councillors.

Earlier yesterday, between adjournments and lunches, it was only after 3pm where councillors went to the various caucus rooms to deliberate on who to nominate for the positions of speaker.

Seen constantly on her phone, DA federal chair Helen Zille did not look too happy as she fielded calls and conducted media interviews.

PA leader Gayton McKenzie was the picture of calm as he walked about talking to close allies and also conducting media interviews.

EFF national spokesperson Vuyani Pambo and elections spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys also looked content.