Johannesburg - The debate on the State of the City Address (SoCA) in the City of Johannesburg had to be adjourned early after the mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, was rushed to the hospital.
On Tuesday, a planned media briefing with the mayor was cancelled because Gwamanda was reportedly not feeling well. He had also missed a number of Integrated Development Planning sessions due to ill health.
It was not clear what exactly was wrong with him.
The Star understands that paramedics who were present at the Metro Centre recommended that Gwamanda be taken to the hospital.
Yesterday, ATM councillor Lubabalo Magwentshu could not proceed with his speech on the debate because the mayor was not in the house due to illness.
The Speaker, Colleen Makhubele, adjourned the meeting for lunch. But after lunch, the whip of council, Sthembiso Zungu, appealed to Makhubele to adjourn the meeting because of the mayor’s ill health.
Makhubele adjourned the meeting, saying that the reasons were valid: “We need the mayor in the House. The only question is when we are going to continue the SoCA debate and have the mayor respond,” she said.
Just after the council meeting was adjourned, the City of Joburg sent a media statement explaining that Gwamanda could not continue the SoCA debate because of ill health. The media advisory also confirmed that Gwamanda had seen a doctor on Tuesday.
“He was seen by his medical team immediately after the address yesterday (Tuesday). Sadly, during today’s (yesterday’s) debate, his condition deteriorated, and the advice of the medical team on standby to attend to him has been that he be excused immediately and present himself to a medical facility for urgent treatment and observation,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, it was not clear if the SoCA debate would continue next week on Tuesday, just before the budget speech, or on another day. The MMC of Finance, Dada Morero, was expected to deliver his budget speech on June 13, followed by a budget debate on June 14.
Some councillors suggested that the stress of leading the government of the local unity coalition was affecting Gwamanda’s health.
The Star