- Newly elected Johannesburg mayor Jolidee Matongo has appointed members of his mayoral committee (MMC).
- He retained eight of the 10 MMCs appointed by his predecessor, Geoff Makhubo.
- Loyiso Masuku keeps her post despite being implicated in alleged Covid-19 PPE corruption at the Gauteng health department.
Newly elected City of Johannesburg executive mayor Jolidee Matongo has retained eight of the 10 members of the mayoral committee (MMC) appointed by his predecessor Geoff Makhubo.
Matongo kept faith with Loyiso Masuku, retaining her as group corporate shared services MMC, despite having been implicated along with her husband, Bandile Masuku, and presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko and her husband, Chief Madzikane II Diko, in alleged Covid-19 PPE corruption at the Gauteng health department.
This resulted in the Masukus and Khusela Diko being placed on leave pending a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into the matter.
Loyiso Masuku returned to her duties at the City of Johannesburg on 27 October 2020, after she had informed Makhubo that she intended to do so.
"The mayor has noted the notice and accepted the return of MMC Masuku to her role and that of Leader of Executive Business (LOEB)," mayoral spokesperson Mlimandlela Ndamase said in a statement at the time.
Matongo who was elected unopposed during Tuesday's special sitting of the Johannesburg council, was sworn in on Wednesday and took the opportunity to announce his 10-member mayoral committee.
He made it clear that the new list of MMCs was a result of "consultations with the ongoing government of local unity (GLU) partnership in the City" and contained no surprises as the majority of members remained unchanged in the portfolios they were assigned by Makhubo, who died in July due to Covid-19.
"The choice of MMCs is in support of the theme of continuation with the implementation of the GLU's priorities, which are aligned to the Joburg Growth and Development Strategy (GDS) 2040," said Matongo.
https://t.co/By0KBr5HQV | Jolidee Matongo’s appointment yet another failure to provide credible leadership - Herman Mashaba https://t.co/sfUVfZhwSn
— News24 (@News24) August 10, 2021
Two portfolios - finance, which was occupied by Matongo, and economic development - were assigned new MMCs.
Councillor Matshidiso Mfikoe who previously served as environment and infrastructure services MMC under mayor Parks Tau, returns as Matongo's replacement as finance MMC, while councillor Thomas Mofokeng, takes up the economic development portfolio.
After Makhubo was officially elected mayor on 4 December 2019, he appointed the Patriotic Alliance's Lloyd Phillips as economic development MMC, who resigned last year and was replaced by Lawrence Khoza who previously served as development planning MMC.
Mofokeng replaced Khoza in the economic development portfolio.
News24 looked at what you need to know about Jolidee Matongo, including his long history in the ANC, and youth in Soweto. | @pejames https://t.co/1G9DpcwnRo
— News24 (@News24) August 10, 2021
Unchanged are the environment and infrastructure services department (Mpho Moerane), housing (Mlungisi Mabaso), transport (Helen Makhuba), health and social development (Eunice Mgcina), community development (Margaret Arnolds), development planning (Thapelo Ahmad) and public safety (Mally Mokoena).
The announcement by Matongo of a relatively unchanged executive comes as ActionSA leader, Herman Mashaba lamented his unopposed appointment, describing it as "yet another failure to provide the City of Joburg with credible leadership".
Mashaba said Matongo's appointment marked the continuation of Makhubo's leadership, given that the new mayor was "Makhubo's right-hand man".