JOHANNESBURG – The City of Johannesburg has a new mayor, she is a member of the Democratic Alliance. Mpho Phalatse was elected in the hotly contested metro, beating the African National Congress’ Mpho Moerane.
This was after the DA’s Mpho Phalatse was elected the city’s new mayor during a special council meeting on Monday evening. Phalatse won by 144 votes, while the ANC’s Mpho Moerane received 121 votes.
The ANC has now lost two metros after the DA’s Tania Campbell was elected Ekurhuleni mayor. Campbell defeated ANC mayoral candidate, Mzwandile Masina.
Only two candidates were contesting the metro after ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba withdrew from the race. Many of the supporters of Mashaba believed the action was cowardly and shows that Mashaba is not worthy of the votes given, other voters called him a “Judas”.
However, in a statement on Monday evening, Mashaba explained that ActionSA voted for DA candidates to keep the ANC out of power.
This is the Democratic Alliance’s second victory in the City of Joburg after its councillor Vasco Da Gama was, earlier in the day, elected Speaker with 147 votes.