ActionSA has frowned at the DA’s motion of no confidence against the Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Dada Morero from the ANC, and the Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu from its ranks.

The party’s provincial chairperson, Funzi Ngobeni, says this is another opportunistic ploy aimed at exploiting a city already in deep crisis.

He added that there is no denying the deep governance crisis that has gripped the City of Johannesburg, as basic services are failing, infrastructure is crumbling, and residents have lost trust in their city’s leadership.

Despite all of this and being in a coalition with the ANC, Ngobeni said his party has not hesitated to confront these failures – evident in their principled opposition to the Adjustment Budget that sought to impose an unfair R230 electricity surcharge on residents.

“However, the DA’s motion is not a sincere effort to restore sound governance. It is a cheap ploy to deepen instability in an already broken city. The endless spinning of the mayoral carousel, without any credible plan, offers residents no relief. It is a distraction and must be exposed for what it truly is — political theatre cloaked in hollow virtue,” Ngobeni said after the DA filed the motion.

The DA said it tabled the motion against Mthembu because of her failure to uphold her constitutional role as an impartial guardian of council processes. Instead of ensuring fair and robust oversight, she has consistently shielded the Mayor, undermining council’s ability to hold the executive accountable.

The party’s caucus leader in the City of Johannesburg, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said Mthembu’s alleged bias has stifled critical decision-making, suppressed legitimate scrutiny, and eroded the democratic integrity of the council chamber.

“The Speaker’s actions, evident in her protection of ineffective officials and disregard for procedural fairness, demonstrate that she is no longer independent but a political ally of the Mayor,” she said.