Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse says she will not be resigning and intends to complete her electoral term of office.
Phalatse made this remark in an open letter to Johannesburg residents on Thursday, where she implored residents to lobby councillors to protect and uphold the residents’ interests.
Phalatse wrote the letter as minority parties are set to bring a motion of no confidence in her on Friday.
TimesLIVE reported that ANC Johannesburg regional secretary Sasanabo Manganye is so confident Phalatse’s days as mayor are numbered that he has advised her to book e-hailing service Uber to take her home on Friday.
“Their only focus will be to empty the city's coffers, stop service delivery and collapse the city.”
Phalatse said while she welcomes the election of the new speaker, the office should not be used as a vehicle to drive a political agenda that will ultimately collapse the city.
“This is your city; this is your multi-party government. It is not some project created for the benefit of immoral and unethical players.”
She said residents have seen and live daily with the destruction of state capture.
“The agenda of the political hyenas is to capture and collapse the city. You and I cannot allow this to happen. Make your voices heard on social media, radio, TV by joining the campaign #HandsOffJoburg!”
“We want to advise her not to waste our time so that we don’t do a motion of no confidence. She must just not waste our time and resign so we can have a proper government,” Manganye said.
In her letter, Phalatse said over the past few days, there had been calls for her resignation, pending the tabling of a motion of confidence in her, and by extension the entire executive of the city.
“I will not be resigning, and I along with the 10 members of the mayoral committee intend on completing our electoral term of office so that we can build this beautiful city, across its seven regions, and call it a city of golden opportunities, where all residents feel that they are part of a beautifully diverse community.”
Phalatse thanked people for their prayers and messages of support for her and the multi-party government, which, despite the political events of the last month, have still been hard at work to ensure the repair of the city continues.
“This is not about me or political parties, this is about you, the six-million residents of the city, who will ultimately suffer should this multi-party government be dissolved through a motion of confidence in the executive mayor.”
Phalatse said there were nefarious actors working to urgently convene a council meeting to dissolve the multi-party government and elect what can best be described as a corrupt cabal that will masquerade as a government.