Pretoria - The days of Mpho Phalatse as the first woman mayor of the City of Joburg “are numbered” and some DA members have allegedly vowed to vote in favour of a motion of no confidence against her – mooted by the smaller opposition parties in council.
Highly placed sources in the DA said both in the City of Joburg and other parts of Gauteng, there is a cohort unhappy with Phalatse at the helm of DA politics in Joburg.
It is understood that some of these disgruntled DA councillors have vowed to vote with the smaller parties in support of a motion of no confidence against Phalatse today. The motion was filed by the ATM and supported by the African Independent Congress (AIC).
The sources said Phalatse’s relationship with ActionSA in the City of Joburg had strained relations between her, councillors and some senior leaders of her party. Yesterday, Phalatse, who was part of the DA’s march to Luthuli House to demand an end to load shedding, appeared visibly lonely among the top leadership who included party leader John Steenhuisen.
While there was closer communication between party leaders on top of a truck including billionaire businessman Rob Hersov – Phalatse stood sipping water – with her role as mayor in the host city appearing unacknowledged.
Others like the mayors of Mogale City and Midvaal were duly acknowledged and praised by Gauteng DA leader Solly Msimanga. He denied that he did not acknowledge Phalatse, saying: “I acknowledged all of them.”
Msimanga also dismissed claims that some DA members would be voting with the opposition parties in the council. “There will be no such thing.”
But insiders insisted some members would defy the party. “The councillors are gatvol. She is working closely with ActionSA.” It is not clear whether Phalatse’s recent marriage to ActionSA member Brutus Malada had added to the apparent alienation.
Meanwhile, ActionSA accused the DA of having thrown Phalatse under the bus following last week’s failed negotiations to restore the majority of the multi-party coalition in Joburg. ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the talks reached a point at which a deal was accepted by the Patriotic Alliance to rejoin the coalition but DA top brass scoffed at it.
Pretoria News