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Kabelo Gwamanda said he was not provided with any prior notice or opportunity to respond to the allegations before his dismissal.
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero dismisses Kabelo Gwamanda from his role as MMC for Community Development amid ongoing fraud investigations, prompting calls for further scrutiny into his actions while in office.
Patriotic Alliance councillor Tebogo Nkonkou is the new MMC for Community Development who will take over from the expelled Gwamanda.
In light of this change, Mayor Dada Morero has appointed Tebogo Nkonkou as the new MMC for Community Development, effective immediately.
The Democratic Alliance has raised serious concerns over the legitimacy of public submissions supporting the renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive, calling for an independent audit amid allegations of duplicate and unverified submissions.
In a media statement confirming the news, Morero said he has decided to place MMC Gwamanda on special leave, effective immediately, and relieve him of all his executive duties.
The former mayor is accused of deceiving vulnerable citizens of Soweto into enrolling in a funeral insurance program that required them to pay monthly premiums.
The Al Jama-ah councillor in the city was reportedly arrested on Friday in Protea North, Soweto but has since been released on bail following his suspected involvement in a funeral policy scam.
DA’s Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the City of Joburg must investigate the agreements where Kabelo Gwamanda put his signature, and examine all the documentation.
Phalatse said she understands the warrant of arrest against Kabelo Gwamanda was issued in May, and ‘foul play behind the scene’ has caused the delay in effecting the arrest.
In a video shared on X, Kabelo Gwamanda who was released on bail said growing up as a black person in South Africa, being arrested is a possibility one cannot avoid.
It is alleged that the former mayor deceived unsuspecting residents of Soweto into participating in a scheme in which they made monthly payments for funeral insurance.
The political party is surprised by the timing of the arrest and says that Gwamanda is being persecuted by the DA.
The Al Jama-ah councillor is embroiled in an insurance fraud scandal based in Soweto.
EFF’s support for renaming Sandton Drive after Leila Khaled sparks heated debate in Johannesburg as public consultation deadline approaches.
Johannesburg’s proposal to rename Sandton Drive after Palestinian activist Leila Khaled ignites fierce debate.
Infrastructure degradation, water outages, power cuts, poor business retention, weak internal planning and financial controls, crime, and lawlessness are the main reasons the city is in decline.
Gwamanda expressed his preparedness to head the portfolio, where infrastructure development was imperative to stabilise the city.
In September 2022, Morero was elected to the position after DA’s Mpho Phalatse was removed from office through a vote of no confidence.
‘Everything that has got to do with the City of Johannesburg, he perceived as the ANC so much so that he terminated so many contracts in the city and brought service delivery to a complete stand still,’ he said.
‘The City’s properties, abandoned buildings in Joburg CBD, taxi ranks, parks and other important infrastructures must be maintained,’ he said.
The City of Joburg is grappling with the consequences of its unstable mayoral leadership, marked most recently by the resignation of Kabelo Gwamanda, who served as mayor for just fifteen months.
EFF’s Nkululeko Dungasaid their two MMCs in Joburg, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku and “Fighter” Ennie Makhafola have demonstrated exceptional dedication in managing departments.
ActionSA welcomes Kabelo Gwamanda’s resignation, aims to fix Johannesburg.
‘No mayor has been expected to turn an entire city around with over 20 years of service delivery disruptions in a space of less than two years. It is impossible,’ he maintained.