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Embattled Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero. File photo: X

Al Jama-ah’s Gwamanda withdraws motion against Johannesburg mayor Morero

Sources said Gwamanda had brought the motion out of anger after being dropped as a member of the mayoral committee

Political mafias and ‘business’ became common, for example municipal contracts between former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and the Delangokubona Business Forum. Photo: File

Political gangsterism is a clear and present danger

In collaboration with crooks, political mafias have emerged in which private fortunes are being built on plundered public wealth

(File photo)

Who benefits from the musical chairs in Joburg Council?

By keeping Morero in office, Johannesburg’s politicians showed open disregard for ratepayers, putting political deals above leadership, accountability and basic service delivery

Combative: Democratic Alliance federal council chair Helen Zille has applied to become Johannesburg’s mayor. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Zille shakes up Jozi mayoral race

The DA leader’s interest in the position has sent political parties scrambling to find stronger candidates as the 2026 municipal elections loom

GNU tensions: Fikile Mbalula, Cyril Ramaphosa, Helen Zille, John Steenhuisen.

ANC infighting threatens GNU more than tensions with DA

Strains are evident, but a cabinet ‘clearing house’ will offer the unity government a way of dealing with disputes

Former Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda (Photo: Luba Lesolle)

Korner Talk: Goodbye to ‘Black John Steenhuisen’ Gwamanda

The Johannesburg mayor is about to be ditched

Second term: President Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected as president. (Photo by WIKUS DE WET / AFP)

Ten parties have now signed on to unity government, but stalemate remains over cabinet

The ANC said in a statement that President Cyril Ramaphosa would announce appointments to the executive ‘in the coming days’

Al Jama-ah councillor Kabelo Gwamanda. (City of Joburg/Facebook)

Joburg mayor receiving medical treatment after becoming ill during council debate

Gwamanda was unwell when he delivered his state of the city address and had to be rushed to hospital during the debate following his speech

Former Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse. Photographer: Guillem Sartorio/Bloomberg via Getty Images

EXPLAINER: Musical chairs in the City of Johannesburg

At the 2021 local government elections, neither of the two biggest parties got a mandate to govern alone in Johannesburg

Divine silence: Jacob Zuma (centre) receives blessing from pastors and preachers at an inter-faith gathering held in May 2017 to pray for him, at the height of state capture. He resigned as president nine months later, after pressure from the ANC itself. Photo: Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images

God in politics: Divine boundaries exist in secular South Africa

The country is hyper religious but has prided itself on not talking politics at the church table

Things fall apart: The coalitions running the city for seven years have been fractious and service delivery has suffered. Photo: Moeletsi Mabe

Financial mismanagement and land grabs a Johannesburg political game

Illegal land occupation and alleged corruption plague the city’s unstable administrations

Selective: The Freedom Front Plus, whose posters hang in the streets of Danville in Pretoria, says it is contesting all eight metros but believes it can be a kingmaker in Tshwane. Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

Municipal elections: Smaller parties battle for kingmaker status

They will most likely punch above their weight in municipalities to gain leverage from the ANC and DA in next month’s local government elections.

National Freedom Party members at the launch of the party’s 2014 election manifesto at Mehlareng Stadium in Tembisa, South Africa. The killing of a NFP candidate at Nongoma has sent the party’s candidates in KwaZulu-Natal into hiding in fear for their lives. (Photo by Gallo Images /Sowetan / Mohau Mofokeng)

How ANC bartered to save the elections

When the ANC was faced with possible losses in 95 municipalities, it approached two smaller parties in hope that its endorsements would result in trade-offs.

The Electoral Commission has asked the high court to postpone nine by-elections. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

A litmus test for the 2021 election

In this week’s 96 by-elections, the trend was the ANC held its ground and grew, while the DA lost big, with minority parties eating into its voter base