S. Africa: Ruling party loses in Johannesburg

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) Monday lost control of the country’s economic hub, Johannesburg, after an opposition councilor was elected mayor in the city it had controlled for 22 years.

Herman Mashaba of the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) was elected executive mayor of the city of Johannesburg after receiving 144 votes, defeating the incumbent Parks Tau who had 125.

“Corruption is declared public enemy number one in this city,” the 56-year-old businessman-turned-politician said in his acceptance speech.

The ANC, which has been in power since 1994, had enjoyed majority support for its role in ending white minority rule, but the party saw a serious decline in its urban vote during the Aug. 3 polls.

Last week, the party lost control of the capital Pretoria and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality to the DA.

The party has also lost smaller municipalities to the opposition.

In Johannesburg, the opposition DA also took three major positions including that of speaker, chief whip and mayor.

The DA’s Vasco Da Gama was elected speaker after receiving 145 votes defeating the ANC’s Connie Bapela who had 126 votes.

Opposition parties refused to join coalitions with the ANC to form municipal governments and instead chose to vote for the DA in hung municipalities.

Last Wednesday, the DA’S Athol Trollip was elected unopposed as mayor for the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.

The municipality, a former stronghold of the ANC, was named after the late Nelson Mandela, the country’s first black democratically elected president, an anti-apartheid hero, and the ANC’s leader from 1991 to 1997.

Many political analysts attribute the ANC’s decline to its head and President Jacob Zuma’s many scandals, including his alleged use of millions in public funds to upgrade his private home.