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It was a dramatic day as the Joburg council held its first meeting since the local government elections. Here are seven things you should know about it:
The DA's Herman Mashaba was elected mayor, defeating the ANC’s Parks Tau with 144 votes to 125. There were no spoilt ballots.
Mashaba declared corruption "public enemy number one". He said public funds must be used in a proper manner. He also said small businesses would be his biggest friends because they create employment. Mashaba said he hoped to announce his executive by Wednesday.
ANC councillor Nonhlanhla Mthembu died after collapsing during proceedings. Mthembu (50) died shortly after nominations were announced for mayor. ANC Gauteng spokesperson Nkenke Kekana said Mthembu, fondly known as “Black Diamond” and “Stompi”, was a longstanding member of the party and a councillor from 2011 to 2016. She had been re-elected to serve another term, he said in a statement. The cause of her death has not yet been determined.
Out of respect for Mthembu, Mashaba said he would postpone his inaugural speech to the council's next sitting on September 13.
The meeting lasted over ten hours, with several breaks and many arguments between the parties. Voting was disrupted numerous times, with agents arguing over regulations around secret ballots. Even though the IEC gave clarity over the matter, the EFF argued that its members should be allowed to show their votes if they wished to.
The DA's Vasco da Gama was elected speaker of the Joburg Council. He made a short speech and promised: "I will be the speaker who speaks less and listens more."
The DA's Kevin Wax was declared new council whip with 146 votes, beating the ANC's Solomon Mogase who got 123 votes.
