Johannesburg mayor resigns amid concerns with his party

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - The mayor of South Africa’s largest city Johannesburg has resigned saying on Monday his party Democratic Alliance (DA) no longer represents his beliefs and what he desires for the residents of the city and country.

"The DA no longer represents a party that is able to achieve what I desire most, a movement that can save South Africa, unseat the African National Congress [South Africa's ruling party] and deliver One South Africa for All," Herman Mashaba said at a media briefing.

The mayor, who has served for three years and still had about 12 months to complete his term, said he was gravely concerned that the DA he signed up to is no longer the party that has emerged out of this weekend’s Federal Council meeting.

The DA's Federal Council, the highest decision making body, elected former party leader Helen Zille its new chairperson. Mashaba was opposed to Zille’s re-election and alleged that far-right wingers had infiltrated the DA.

"The election of Helen Zille, the chairperson of the Federal Council, represents a victory for people in the DA who stand opposed to my beliefs and value system, and I believe to those of most South Africans of all backgrounds," he said.

The DA, South Africa’s official opposition party, had for many years been viewed as a political party for whites and a few black elites, but for nearly a decade it has been changing its image now.

A couple of years ago, the party elected Mmusi Maimane its first black party president, a position he still holds to date.

Several other black politicians have also got positions within the party, but commentators allege that major decisions are being made by others.

"I cannot reconcile myself with a group of people who believe that race is irrelevant in the discussion of inequality and poverty in South Africa in 2019," Mashaba said.

He added that he cannot reconcile himself with people who do not see that South Africa is more unequal today than it was in 1994 (when it became a democracy).

"I cannot reconcile myself with people who fail to realize that we have a patriotic duty to unseat the African National Congress and save our country before it is too late," he said.