ANC JHB CALLS MASHABA A SORE LOSER FOR RESIGNING AS MAYOR

In a statement released on Monday, the ANC Greater Johannesburg Region said it wasn’t shocked by this resignation and believed that it had nothing to do with the election of Helen Zille back to the party.

Mihlali Ntsabo

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) Greater Johannesburg Region on Monday said outgoing Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba resigned because he was running away from the city’s dire financial crisis.

Mashaba announced his resignation from the Democratic Alliance (DA) a day after the party announced Helen Zille as its Federal Council chairperson. Zille takes over from James Selfe, who held the position for close to two decades.

Mashaba's resignation comes into effect on 27 November 2019.

In a statement released on Monday, the ANC Greater Johannesburg Region said it wasn’t shocked by this resignation and believed that it had nothing to do with the election of Zille back to the party.

“His resignation is informed by the dire financial crisis that he has plunged the City of Johannesburg into. He has, over time, been able to get away with lies about the financial affairs of the city.

“Mashaba is running away from the soon to be exposed truth that the City of Johannesburg is broke and may not be able to finance the day-to-day basic costs of providing water and electricity to Johannesburg residents including paying salaries to staff.”

Last week, Mashaba said he would leave the DA if the party was taken over by what he called right-wing elements and expressed concerns over the direction his party was taking.

The party went on to call Mashaba a “sore loser” and not a democrat as he claimed to be.

“Mashaba is an attention seeker who was going down anyway. He needed an “honourable” exit and Zille’s election is a perfect excuse.”