By Howard Feldman
It might come as a surprise that once again, it’s the Zionists who are to be blamed. This time it has nothing to do with Gaza, Palestine, the West Bank or anything in the Middle East, but for a ‘plot’ that is much closer to home: home for anyone who lives in Johannesburg.
According to Ganief Hendricks, leader of the Al Jama-Ah party, calls for removal of the mayor of Johannesburg, Kabelo Gwamana, are all political. It has nothing to do with misgovernance, service delivery or the state of the city’s finances or anything relevant: It is really about a ‘plot’ to bring the Zionists to power. In fact, he says ‘back to power’, as though Netanyahu and his Likud party were responsible for the management of the council at some point.
“The widespread protest is a political protest, it’s not on merit. It’s to put the DA [Democratic Alliance] and the Zionists back into power, to put the whites back into power. That’s why there’s a white protest by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and OUTA [Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse], and funded by Zionists.”
As a self-identifying Zionist, I can confirm that I have not funded any such protest. Although I can try and reach out to others in the secret society that runs the world for confirmation, I suspect that they have a list of other priorities that doesn’t include the removal of Gwamanda as mayor. With Iran and Hezbolla threatening to eradicate the Jewish state, it would be somewhat perplexing if the city council of Johannesburg even made it into the footnotes.
Unless, of course, he doesn’t mean ‘Zionists’ at all? That the word is used as a more palatable way to say ‘Jew’? Because Jews have been involved with the city, have contributed to its development and have given their time, expertise and dare I say money for the betterment of the city. Whether they were or were not Zionists is neither here nor there. I imagine that some were, some were not and some would not even understand the question.
The ‘It’s a Zionist plot’ is a generally the last defence of the indefensible. And this case is no different. The case of Johannesburg is a classic example.
The decay is foremost the responsibility of the political parties who placed the unqualified and impotent mayor in the position. Kabelo Gwamanda has been the mayor of Johannesburg since May 2023. A member of the Al Jama-ah party, he is the ninth executive mayor of the metropolitan municipality since 2016.
Gwamanda was elected – with 139 votes – at a special council sitting. His party had only three seats in the Joburg council, but the ANC and EFF ensured his election as part of a collective deal to take over Gauteng’s hung municipalities. The parties had decided that minority party members should hold the mayoral seat, while they share the majority of the mayoral committee positions.
The result? A non-functional city on the brink of collapse.
Rumours of the mayor being replaced have been circulating for a number of weeks. Gwamanda is accused of misgovernance and mishandling the city’s finances, adding to the metro’s already existing issues.
While the ANC previously confirmed Gwamanda was ready to resign this week, Al Jama-Ah said a deal had not been struck about Gwamanda’s future. They apparently want him to remain in the position until Christmas. Why that particular festival was chosen for the party, is anyone’s guess.
But what is clear is that any day that ends the employment of arguably one of the city’s most useless mayors, will be a day to celebrate.
Even for non-Zionists!