Out with the old, in with the new: Kabelo Gwamanda, former mayor and MMC for Community Development, has officially been removed from Johannesburg’s mayoral committee following corruption allegations.
We’ve told you before about Gwamanda’s controversies. Last year, in May, he became the sixth mayor of Joburg in less than two years, despite Al Jama-ah only having three seats in the municipal council. Still, Gwamanda received the backing of the ANC, EFF and minority parties, putting him in the top spot. This was all part of Joburg’s ongoing political instability, dating back to the 2021 local government elections, where no party won an outright majority.
But Gwamanda’s tenure was a rollercoaster of corruption allegations, service delivery woes, and a controversial R200 electricity surcharge.
He finally resigned as mayor in August but remained part of the mayoral committee until this week’s removal. Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero announced Gwamanda’s ouster on Saturday night, citing the need for stability in community services. The announcement follows Gwamanda’s recent fraud-related arrest, stemming from a 2011 scam allegedly targeting Soweto residents.
In his place, Patriotic Alliance councillor Tebogo Nkonkou has stepped in as the new MMC for Community Development. However, we’re not holding our breath for much by way of improved service delivery, given the slow collapse of Johannesburg under the current lot.
The DA has welcomed Gwamanda’s removal but is calling for a full investigation into his time in office. DA caucus leader Belinda Keyser Echeozonjoku demanded that all agreements and MOUs he signed as mayor and MMC be scrutinised, particularly those related to the controversial renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive.
As for Gwamanda, he’ll now sit in the back benches as a regular Al Jama-ah council member. Good riddance.
Note: This article was updated after publication to include more context.
