No-show drama saves Joburg mayor as no-confidence motion collapses

Johannesburg’s council chamber has seen fiery debates, shouting matches and dramatic walkouts.

But on Thursday, it was an empty seat that changed everything.

City of Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero survived yet another motion of no confidence not because of a tight vote or last-minute deal-making, but because the councillor who brought the motion simply wasn’t in the room.

And just like that, the political storm fizzled out.

The moment the motion “fell off”

The motion had been tabled by Al Jama-ah and its minority party partners. Tensions had been building for weeks, especially after delays linked to legal consultations over whether the vote could be conducted by secret ballot.

But when council Speaker Margaret Sheron Arnolds called on the proposer to present the motion, there was confusion.

Councillor Lubabalo Cecil Magwentshu of the African Transformation Movement (ATM) reportedly informed council that he had been summoned by his party leadership and was not in the chamber.

Without the proposer and no seconder in sight the speaker ruled that the motion could not proceed.

“It falls off,” she declared, to applause from parts of the chamber.

In council procedure, that was that. No debate. No vote. No political showdown.

A dramatic day in Joburg politics

The timing added another layer to the story.

Just hours earlier, finance MMC Loyiso Masuku had been elected deputy mayor. The move consolidated the executive leadership of Johannesburg under the African National Congress (ANC), with both the mayor and deputy mayor now drawn from the same party.

Political insiders suggest the creation of the deputy mayor position may have been part of broader internal negotiations within the ANC. Morero lost his position as the party’s Johannesburg regional chairperson at last year’s conference, and factions within the party have been recalibrating ever since.

Some observers believe the deputy mayor role helped stabilise internal tensions that had been simmering beneath the surface.

Coalition politics at play

Johannesburg’s recent political history reads like a revolving door of mayors and shifting alliances. Coalition arithmetic can change overnight, and no-confidence motions have become a familiar tactic.

On social media, reactions ranged from amusement to frustration. Some residents joked that the motion was “defeated by load shedding of attendance.” Others questioned whether the no-show reflected deeper instability within opposition ranks.

For many Joburgers, though, the drama inside council feels disconnected from daily realities potholes, billing disputes and unreliable services.

What this means for Morero

For now, Morero remains in office.

But surviving a motion because of procedural collapse rather than political support sends its own message. It suggests that while opposition parties are willing to challenge him, coordination remains fragile.

It also reinforces a pattern in Johannesburg politics: sometimes survival depends less on numbers and more on timing.

With the ANC consolidating leadership at the top of the city’s executive, Morero appears politically steadier at least for the moment.

Still, in a metro known for sudden shifts and coalition surprises, few would bet on calm lasting too long.

In Johannesburg politics, even an empty chair can make history.

{Source: The Citizen}

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