Council will meet again next week, though it remains unclear whether Floyd Brink will be appointed as city manager.
The DA has reportedly been dragged into an internal ANC battle that has delayed the reappointment of Floyd Brink as Joburg’s city manager.
On Thursday, ANC leaders were locked in a meeting trying to resolve a dispute around Brink’s appointment.
The matter was initially presented as an HR report, but soon it became clear that it was an item discussing Brink’s future. After several caucus breaks, the ANC withdrew the item.
But a source close to the matter has told The Citizen that during an early-morning meeting, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula called the DA’s federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, requesting her intervention.
“He, Mbalula, wanted to know from Helen if the DA will support the appointment or object. The DA is not a coalition partner of the ANC in Johannesburg; there was no need to involve the DA,” said the source.
It is alleged that after this call, Zille told her caucus in Johannesburg to object to Brink’s appointment as city manager.
“Dada [Morero] is afraid of telling his coalition partners, especially the EFF, that he does not want Brink, and now he wants to use the DA as an excuse,” said the source.
“I don’t know why he ran to a white party to ask for their help; it’s not like they are even part of the government of local unity (GLU) coalition.”
ANC speaks out
ANC regional spokesperson Sasabona Manganye told The Citizen that he was not in the meetings that discussed Brink’s appointment.
“It was a national meeting, I was not there,” he said.
However, he denied that Morero is refusing to support Brink’s reappointment.
“The report is there, and the mayor has signed off on it. The mayor has never said he does not want him,” he said.
Manganye said the ANC had withdrawn the report because there were minor issues with it.
“It will be back next week,” he said.
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Cost of the delays
The Citizen understands that one council meeting can cost the city up to R500 000.
DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku declined to comment on the matter when contacted by The Citizen.
The Citizen also sought comment from the DA’s national spokesperson, Willie Aucamp, who referred queries to Zille’s media team.
The minority parties in coalition with the ANC in Joburg told The Citizen they are not happy with the ANC’s decision to withdraw the report on Brink’s appointment.
“We feel that the level of interference on the part of the ANC by way of unilaterally withdrawing the report was a violation, not just of the coalition but of the residents.
“They stated in their response that the ANC decided to withdraw the report for further internal engagements, and because the MMC of Group Corporate Shared Services (GCSS) [who withdrew the item] comes from the ANC, he cannot defy an ANC instruction regardless of the GLU’s decision to table the report.
“The mayor does not seem to be taking any of the issues that concern the partners seriously and, least of all, the coalition’s strategic priorities,” the parties said.
Brink scores highest
According to an internal report on the interview processes, seen by The Citizen, a “panel recommended that the first-ranked candidate, Mr Floyd Warren Brink, be appointed as the city manager.
“In the event that Mr Brink declines the offer of employment, Mr Msizi Myeza the second, or Tshepo Lazarus Makola, the third-ranked candidate, will be appointed respectively.”
It concluded that “Mr Floyd Warren Brink be appointed as the city manager in the City of Johannesburg on a fixed-term performance-based contract with effect from 1 November 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter” and that Morero negotiate a contract with him that will run for one year after the election of the next council of the municipality.
The Citizen understands that Morero preferred Helen Botes, the former COO of the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), for the position. But her score was lower than Brink’s.
Botes is the controversial former head of the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC). She was implicated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for the appointment of four companies to clean buildings during the Covid pandemic. R18.6-million was spent despite the companies not doing the work or not being able to carry out the work.
Botes was also accused of negligence after the fire at the Usindiso building in 2023, which led to the deaths of 76 people.
The battle over the city manager position takes place just as the city prepares to host the G20 leaders’ summit in a few days.
It also takes place at a time when the ANC is preparing to host its regional elective conference.
It is at this conference that Morero is expected to square off with Loyiso Masuku for the position of regional chairperson.
The Citizen understands that Loyiso, who was on the interview panel, leads a faction that favours Brink for the job.
Political instability
Sanet Solomon, a political analyst, told The Citizen earlier this week that city managers play a vital role in overseeing the city’s daily administrative operations.
She said the absence of one could lead to difficulties for the municipality.
“They [city managers] interact with various stakeholders, coordinate between different departments in the city, and play a role in the oversight and maintenance of the city’s budget.
“The absence of a city manager, thus, means that these tasks remain unfulfilled. It affects governance, causing a lack of planning, directing, and coordination among government departments.
“This also translates into missed engagements with the public and a lack of communication with residents around the challenges they face,” she said.
Solomon said there are problems with the delivery of basic services in Johannesburg.
“Given the ongoing challenges facing the city, numerous parties are prioritising their electoral campaign to ensure that they take control of one of the country’s largest metros,” she said.
