Having held our first all-inclusive elections in 1994, SA is very much an infant insofar as this thing called democracy is concerned. There are therefore many years of trial and error ahead of us, and there is no such thing as a perfect system of governance. And by its very nature, a democratic system is by no means a one-size-fits-all or a magic wand to make our troubles vanish.
It is in this spirit that we support the call made the Black Business Council (BBC) that there be a cap on the number of motions of no confidence a year for intents such as removing a mayor. The BBC made the call via this publication in the wake of the swearing in of the new City of Johannesburg government.
Members of the city’s mayoral executive council were sworn in on Monday, bringing to closure the latest round of the game of musical chairs played out in the municipal chambers of the biggest city in the country, that also happens to be the heart of SA’s economic hub.
Since the local government elections in 2021, Joburg has had three mayors, if the short-lived adventure in the mayoral chair of one Dada Morero is considered. Morero, of the ANC, was elected after the removal of Mpho Phalatse, of the DA, via a motion of no confidence. However, that move was declared illegal by a court of law and Phalatse returned to the helm, albeit on borrowed time.
The circus is undoubtedly in town as far as governance of the city is concerned and the crying need for services such as road maintenance and provision of water take the back seat while politicians bicker to no end for power.
The current mayor, Thapelo Amad, is regarded by many as nothing more than a stooge of the real powers that are the ANC and the EFF based on the fact that his party won a princely 1% of the vote in the elections. It is therefore anybody’s guess how long he and his government will last before those longing for power decide the game is up.
It all results in instability that doesn’t inspire confidence, especially with investors for who bodies such as the BBC represent. Joburg, with its huge budget, reportedly bigger even than those of some countries on the continent and elsewhere, needs a stable, focused government that would naturally also bring with it the required stability.
We are headed to national and provincial elections next year that observers reckon will usher in an era of coalition government never seen at those tiers of the state before.
We agree with the BBC that we can’t let the chaos and instability at local government spill unmitigated to other areas.
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