The African National Congress (ANC) was unceremoniously toppled on Monday in the City of Johannesburg as the desire to freeze it out of the metro eclipsed a failure by the Democratic Alliance (DA), ActionSA, Freedom Front (FF) Plus, African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), United Democratic Movement and the Congress of the People (COPE) to form a coalition.

Despite failing to reach an agreement, because of the DA's stance that it would not support ActionSA mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba, all parties - bar COPE - including the EFF, voted the DA into office.

While the other parties remained aggrieved, their desire to foil the ANC's plans of retaining the metro proved stronger than rebuffing the DA.

Even the EFF - whom the DA publicly denounced, saying it would rather sit in opposition benches than enter into coalition with it - voted for the DA in Johannesburg as it had done earlier in the day in Ekurhuleni.

This led to the election of DA speaker candidate Vasco da Gama who held the position from 2016 to 2019.

Da Gama received 147 votes while the ANC's Eunice Mgcina got 118.

DA mayoral candidate Mpho Phalatse also won by a resounding margin, receiving 144 votes compared to the ANC's Mpho Moerane who garnered 118.

Speaking to the media, Phalatse said she was honoured to be the first woman to be the mayor in the City of Johannesburg.

She added the country's democracy had definitely matured, given the fact that without having a coalition government, she was able to be elected into office.

ActionSA leader Mashaba, who was expected to stand as his party's mayoral candidate, chose not to throw his hat in the ring.

Addressing the media at the council venue, he said the party had chosen to place South Africans first and voted to remove the "cancer that is ANC".

"We placed citizens before our own pride. What I can tell you is that we do not have a coalition agreement in Johannesburg with the DA.

"We [parties that voted with the DA] have chosen to remove the problem that is the ANC. The DA needs to talk to us and by us I also mean the EFF. That is if they are serious about having a stable government," added Mashaba.