Joburg Council greenlights new deputy mayor post to boost stability

The Johannesburg City Council has officially approved a proposal to create a new Deputy Mayor position. 

The motion, which was tabled by the African National Congress (ANC), was adopted by the council on Thursday afternoon.

It is understood that the ANC intends for its newly appointed city leader, Loyiso Masuku, to be elected to the role. According to the City, the introduction of a Deputy Mayor is designed to ensure uninterrupted executive authority within the municipality.

To mitigate the financial impact of the new office, the role will replace one of the existing Mayoral Committee (MMC) positions. This move aims to keep costs neutral while restructuring the executive leadership.

Johannesburg is expected to follow a governance model similar to the City of Tshwane, where the Deputy Mayor position is combined with the Finance portfolio.

ANC Regional Secretary Sasabona Manganye stated that the new position will significantly improve operational stability in the metro.

"It will assist in terms of the coordination of service delivery, also focusing on the coordination of the municipal-owned entities. It will also assist to be a central point to deal with matters of finance," said Manganye.

The City Council is expected to convene a separate meeting in the near future to officially elect the new Deputy Mayor.