John Matisonn: Jo’burg faces 9th new mayor in four and a half years

Key topics:Ninth potential mayor in four years as ANC ousts Morero for Musuku amid vote-buying claims.Madlanga Commission exposes scandal: Mashazi’s inaction on sexual-misconduct complaints and her lavish lifestyle sparks outrage.Testimony reveals police–tender links, cash favours and corruption involving Matlala and protected officials.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By John Matisonn.Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero lost the ANC leadership contest in the city at a party congress on Friday to MMC finance member Loyiso Musuku by 184 to 149.If Musuku replaces him as mayor, as expected, it will be the ninth mayoral change since July 2021, an average of a new mayor every six months in a city that has become renowned for service delivery failure.This latest rupture comes one year ahead of the municipal elections when the DA’s Helen Zille will be the main challenger for the top job in Johannesburg.It also comes in the same week that scrutiny of management of the neighbouring Ekurhuleni metro at the Madlanga commission sparked social media outrage over the conduct of recently retired city manager Dr Imogen Mashazi.Anger overflowed on social media this week after Mashazi told the commission she had taken no action after complaints that a police chief sexually harassed and raped women staff and fathered their children, because the complaints were not in writing. Mashazi is accused of protecting another police officer, Commissioner Julius Mkhwanazi, who was accused of authorising blue lights on the private vehicles of attempted murder accused Vusimusi Cat Matlala in return for payments. One of Matlala’s companies obtained a R360million medical contract from the city.Mashazi, the highest paid city manager in South Africa before her retirement this year, earned R4.57m in 2023/2024. Her demeanour before the commission was criticised by lawyers who accused her of not following the questions because she was scrolling through her phone, failed to take the commission seriously and claimed not to remember well-publicised events.After Mashazi’s testimony, news 24 and social media circulated pictures of her in jewelry valued at millions of rands. They included Bulgari Serpenti earrings, a necklace and bracelet costing more than R650,000 each, an Audemars Piguet watch valued at R1.5million, a Dolce and Gabbani dress for R63,000, and a Hermes Birkin bag in crocodile leather costing between R600,000 and R7million. “I have all the colours in exotic leather, making an exotic collection,” she said in a social media post. “The only handbag that I use is Hermes. I gave the rest to my daughter.” Morero has presided over a city widely criticised for worsening municipal services until this year, when some notable improvements were made mainly to the route taken by VIPs attending last month’s G20 summit.Commisioner Mkhwanazi, who Mashazi is accused of protecting, was questioned about his relationship with Matlala.Asked in the commission if Matlala, who is now in jail awaiting trial for attempted murder, had given him money, Mkhwanazi admitted to only R300 or R500 for petrol. He said he sometimes asked Matlala — whom he referred to as “ngamla” (boss) — for amounts ranging between R200 and R1 000 for groceries.Under further questioning he acknowledged that Matlala also assisted with funeral expenses after Mkhwanazi lost a sibling and attended the funeral.He estimated the funeral costs at “maybe R20 000”.Commission lawyers then revealed documentation showing three separate payments: R20 000 from Cat VIP on 5 May 2022, another R20 000 from Matlala’s subsidiary Medicare24 Tshwane District on 18 June 2022, and R30 000 from Black AK Trading — a company linked to Matlala — on 10 December 2022.“Matlala assisted me a lot during those times,” Mkhwanazi admitted.Mkhwanazi said that Matlala had promised him more money if he managed to secure a police tender — an apparent reference to the R360 million health services contract Matlala later obtained with the South African Police Service (Saps) in June 2024.“He even promised me far more than that. He said ‘when I get this thing ngamla, you’ll retire’… and I was very happy. Even though he didn’t specify, I said I was praying that you get that tender.”Under questioning he then admitted he had asked Mike Van Wyk, the director of Matlala’s health services company Medicare24, for help with school fees for his children, but this was never provided.Evidence leader Mahlape Sello then presented an email showing that Mkhwanazi had requested R66 000.According to some delegates, the ANC Johannesburg regional conference was marred by allegations of bribery and vote-buying.