The Democratic Alliance rejects the denial by Ekurhuleni Mayor, Mzwandile Masina, that he said last month he would resign as executive mayor and ANC regional chairperson if Cyril Ramaphosa was elected as president of the ANC.
His original statements, inter alia, reported by News24, that he “can never serve under Cyril” and “I will leave” were unambiguous and require him to stand by his word, said Alderman Shadow Shabangu, DA chairperson in Ekurhuleni, in a statement issued on Tuesday.
“Masina’s quick backtrack in itself is problematic. In ‘denying’ his previous statements, he is reported in The Citizen, as saying: ‘I, unfortunately, responded that, if that is the case, I am prepared to make their job easier by resigning and remain an ordinary member of the ANC and a councillor’. The DA expects Mr Masina to do just that.
“It has always been about personal political gain rather than delivering services to the people of Ekurhuleni for Masina. Unfortunately for him, he seems to have backed the wrong horse in the ANC presidential race with his preferred candidate, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, losing out to Cyril Ramaphosa.
“In the run-up to the ANC elective conference at Nasrec, Masina very publicly stated that he ‘will never serve under Cyril,’ and further stated ‘I will leave. I can never serve under Cyril. I respect him as my older brother, as a leader, but I just don’t believe in this group he belongs to. So he can lead, I will be out. It means I am not a leader. I can’t lead people who don’t listen to me. It’s politics’.
Shabangu said: “A staunch Zuma supporter and vocal campaigner for Dlamini-Zuma, Masina attacked Ramaphosa, insinuating that he was exclusively a white people’s candidate.
“It is this kind of rhetoric that has marked Masina’s stint as mayor of Ekurhuleni and indicative of his policies to enrich a certain few in power while largely neglecting the needs of the people in the metro. In short, he has never had the interests of the residents of Ekurhuleni at heart, but has rather backed the Zuma political faction to fulfill his own political ambition.
“Although Masina has subsequently backtracked, denying saying that he won’t serve under a Ramaphosa presidency, the fact remains that he is no longer in political favour and certainly not the mayor that Ekurhuleni needs.
“The DA believes, first and foremost, in delivering on service delivery needs and inclusive growth for all within Ekurhuleni and thereby calls on Masina to put his money where his mouth is and stay true to his word in promising to step down as mayor and regional chair of Ekurhuleni now that Ramaphosa has emerged victorious.”
