Joburg’s new mayor defends allegations of dodgy dealings and lack of tertiary education

Kabelo Gwamanda is navigating uncharted waters after his election as the ninth executive mayor of SA’s richest city more than a week ago. Now, his past appears to threaten his political career. 

Gwamanda is a member of the Al Jama-ah party. It has three seats on the Joburg council. He is in the spotlight amid allegations that he ran a Ponzi scheme, and after a Carte Blanche investigation uncovered that his highest level of education was Grade 10.

Al Jama-ah’s caucus leader and former mayor, Thapelo Amad, confirmed to Daily Maverick that Gwamanda had dropped out of school for personal reasons and enrolled for a national senior certificate in business administration – equivalent to Grade 12 at a college.

Questions around the mayor’s qualifications are an attempt to discredit Gwamanda for the top position, according to Amad:

“There isn’t a criteria (sic)… there isn’t anywhere where they say for you to be a mayor, you need to be qualified with this degree or need to have a matric.

“Those are mere allegations that seek to tarnish his reputation… the office of the mayor is highly contested.”

When Gwamanda was asked on Tuesday by Eyewitness News about his qualifications, he responded: “What if I am the black version of John Steenhuisen?”

“What if I am the black version of (John) Steenhuisen,” said Kwabelo Gwamanda, Johannesburg Executive Mayor when asked what is his highest level of education.

Gwamanda also said that his legal team is handling the allegations by the DA that he once ran a Ponzi scheme. TCG pic.twitter.com/jIbTaN2woz

— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) May 16, 2023

Gwamanda was elected mayor after receiving 139 votes to the DA’s Mpho Phalatse’s 68 and ActionSA’s Funzi Ngobeni’s 59 votes. He is the ninth mayor of Joburg since 2016.

Previous mayors include: Parks Tau (2016), Herman Mashaba (2016/19), Geoff Makhubo (2020/21), Mpho Moerane (2021), Jolidee Matongo (2021), Mpho Phalatse (2021/22), Dada Morero (2022) and Thapelo Amad (2023).

Read more in Daily Maverick: Kabelo Gwamanda voted in as latest mayor of Joburg

News24 recently reported that Gwamanda was linked to three registered companies, including iThemba Lama Africa, into which people allegedly channelled money at the mayor’s behest. Former executive mayor Mpho Phalatse threatened to open a criminal case within 48 hours from Saturday if Gwamanda did not come forward to address the allegations.

Former Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse. (Photo: Gallo Images / Papi Morake)

On the Ponzi scheme allegations, Amad told the publication that the iThemba Lama Africa funeral scheme was a “business gone wrong”.

Amad said it started when he, Gwamanda and others were “young and naive”, as they assisted cash-strapped people with the burial of loved ones from their own pockets. When the group attempted to convert the NPO into a business, it failed.

On Tuesday, Gwamanda would not go into detail, but confirmed having been a part of iThemba Lama Africa Funeral Scheme, “when I was much younger than I am now”.

“The allegations of the Democratic Alliance, Mpho Phalatse and those people lobbying my community to, in fact, portray or cast aspersions… is something that is very disingenuous of them.”

Gwamanda said a legal team had since been appointed to look into the matter.

This comes after the party wrote to council speaker Colleen Makhubele, requesting that an investigation be carried out by the ethics committee to establish the following.

1. “Whether the allegations made against Cllr Gwamanda, regarding his private business interests, have substance and materiality to his status as a councillor and executive mayor.


2. “Whether the staged public attacks of Cllr Phalatse on Cllr Gwamanda’s person and misrepresentation of his private affairs has not violated his rights and brought the office he holds into serious disrepute, and whether in so doing, she did not contravene the provisions of item 2 of the Code of Conduct for Councillors through her acts of political expediency and opportunism.”

Despite his future hanging in the balance, Gwamanda told journalists: “I am happy with how things are and confident in the work that I am supposed to do for the city.”

What Gwamanda has done in the job so far

On Tuesday, he attended his first public engagement in Alexandra where he encouraged the youth to take part in developing their community. He also told residents that he would not be deterred in his mission to improve the lives of ordinary people.

I am here to serve and I am here to stabilise the City of Johannesburg - Executive Mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda #KeKasiYaRona #JoburgCares #JoburgServices #JoburgWorks #JoburgMayor ^NJ pic.twitter.com/BEakoemBjd

— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) May 16, 2023

1. At the weekend, he accepted National Treasury’s invitation to Cape Town to attend a support initiative with the theme, “Navigating the storms: building adaptable and resilient cities”.


2. Gwamanda appointed Transport MMC Kenny Kunene to act in his position while he was away for two days.


3. Although expected to address a media briefing by his party on Saturday to address allegations of wrongdoing in his one-time funeral insurance business, Gwamanda was a no-show. His party blamed the unavailability of security.


4. He had a weekend interview with the SABC. DM