Al Jama-ah president Ganief Hendricks has lashed out at the ANC for wanting to remove Kabelo Gwamanda as Johannesburg executive mayor, saying the former liberation party leaders want Gwamanda gone to “create fortunes” for themselves.
This was following remarks by ANC Gauteng secretary Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza that Gwamanda would be gone by the end of the week.
“There is no agreement at all [for Gwamanda to resign]. I was given a mandate, together with Nciza, by the premier [Panyaza Lesufi, who is also ANC Gauteng chair] to deal with the matter,” Hendricks said.
He said the ANC Johannesburg’s regional executive committee (REC) had been fighting Al Jama-ah since Gwamanda was elected mayor a little more than a year go.
“They want their person to be the mayor. The ANC Joburg REC has been throwing their toys out of the cot since then, demanding that their man must rule Joburg. They have been insulting us since, but the decision to elect a mayor is not in their hands. Why must we listen to the ANC REC? We are not puppets.”
“It doesn’t make sense. We are cleaning up the mess they created. They want to create fortunes for themselves, that’s why they want to derail the good job we are doing.” The Al Jama-ah leader has made representations to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli, among others, on why Gwamanda must keep the mayoral chain.
“Gwamanda, at the moment, is not going to resign,” Hendricks asserted.
ActionSA president Herman Mashaba has cautioned the ANC that if it does not remove Gwamanda as mayor it will withdraw its conditional support for the party.
[Photo: Ganief Hendricks – SA Parliament website]