ActionSA has expressed confidence that the election of a new mayor will be an “improvement on the objectively disastrous” tenure of Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda.

Gwamanda submitted his resignation letter to the Speaker of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Council Margaret Arnolds, on Tuesday.

Arnolds will convene an extraordinary council meeting on Friday to elect a new mayor. 

ActionSA welcomed Gwamanda’s resignation, following a tenure of just over a year that it said can only be characterised by “failure and catastrophic incompetenc”, with the evidence of the City's downward spiral evident across Johannesburg.

Residents, under the banner of the Johannesburg Crisis Alliance (JCA), called on Council members to prioritise the interests of Johannesburg residents when it elected a new mayor.

The JCA said it would continue to advocate for transparent, responsive and effective governance, and would hold the incoming mayor to the same standards of accountability as it did Gwamanda.

ActionSA City of Johannesburg Caucus Leader Nobuhle Mthembu highlighted that while Gwamanda’s resignation was a welcome first step, rebuilding Johannesburg would require a sustained effort driven by decisive action, a clear plan, and unwavering political will.

Mthembu said her party was pleased that its intervention had resulted in Gwamanda’s resignation, which it pushed for with urgency.

She stated that residents of the City of Johannesburg suffered under Gwamanda’s “ineptitude and habitual blame-shifting”.

“ActionSA argued from the day of his election that Gwamanda, who replaced another disastrous mayor from Al Jama-ah, was simply not fit for the role and would certainly be unable to meet the demands of the job. One year later, we are regrettably reminded of how accurate our warnings have proven to be,” she said.

Meanwhile, the JCA said while Gwamanda’s resignation reflected the widespread pressure and discontent from Joburg residents and civil society, it said Gwamanda’s resignation was not a victory but rather a critical moment for renewed commitment to better governance in the City.

Last month, the JCA called for Gwamanda’s resignation citing a decline in citizen confidence and trust in his leadership.

The organisation said that Gwamanda’s resignation highlighted the urgent need for a leadership that prioritied the needs and concerns of Johannesburg's residents.

“The challenges we face – ranging from electricity outages to water shortages, service delivery failures and corruption – require decisive action and resolution. This is what a change of leadership must address and resolve,” it said.

The JCA, along with its convening organisations – the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, Action for Accountability, Defend Our Democracy and Johannesburg Inner-City Partnership – reiterated that its primary concern was the efficient and accountable leadership of Johannesburg, not the individuals occupying positions of power.

“…we have consistently maintained that our campaign is not in favour of any political party, and we will continue to hold all city leaders accountable, irrespective of their political affiliation,” it said.