The ruling African National Congress of South Africa (ANC) has dismissed calls by some locals for the removal of newly-elected Johannesburg mayor, Jolidee Matongo, whose father is a Zimbabwean.
In a statement signed by Dada Morero, the party’s greater Johannesburg regional secretary, the ANC said it “has noted the social media malicious afro-phobic campaign against the People’s Mayor of Johannesburg titled: “#WeRejectMayorOfJHB”. This hashtag is generally led by faceless people and therefore does not represent the people of Johannesburg.
“Based on our investigation, these are politically aligned paid-up tweets to purport aspersions on the Executive Mayor through propaganda that seeks to mislead society and characterize the Executive Mayor as a foreigner in his motherland.”
The ANC said the Matongo (46) was born and bred in Dube, Soweto, South Africa. The party noted that he did his schooling at Sizanani Primary School, where his political activism started, “ignited by a love for justice, opposed to the fascist apartheid regime.”
The ANC further said, “To this end, we call upon public servants, the residents of Johannesburg and all sectors of society to work with the appointed Mayoral Committee led by Executive Mayor Matongo to deliver services and better the lives of the people of Johannesburg.”