Cape Town - Another coalition mayor is gone, for the umpteenth time this municipal government term.
The resignation of Joburg’s Thapelo Amad, whose mayoral credentials were questioned from the start, was announced by ANC Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi on Monday.
This means that the change of mayors that started as democracy at work and later deteriorated into a drama, has now turned into something of a joke.
If needs be, the government should step in and dissolve the Joburg council to save the country’s golden city from becoming the laughing stock of not only South Africa, but the world.
The same should apply to other municipalities facing the same problem.
It is obvious that the democratic processes of resolving the political impasse in the metro will not fix the situation.
Most worryingly remains the fact that discussions about coalitions are done at a political level without prioritising the needs of communities and providing them with essential services.
Ultimately, people need to feel valued and have access to the resources they need, but the sad reality is that this will not happen under the current climate.
In the end, the progress that has been made in addressing some of the social and economic challenges that were inherited from apartheid will come to nil if the political shenanigans are not resolved.
The threat of coalitions at the national and provincial tiers of government is looming large before the general election next year.
Voters need to go out in large numbers next year, and give a single party the mandate and stop the political games that have unfolded in municipalities this term from spilling over into Parliament.
Cape Times