Geoff Makhubo is the new Mayor of Johannesburg

The African National Congress (ANC) has managed to win its way back to running the country’s economic powerhouse after the election of its candidate as Mayor od the City of Johannesburg.

READ: SAMWU opens corruption, fraud and theft case against Mashaba

Weeks of speculation and political maneuvering in a bid to find a replacement for former Mayor Herman Mashaba ended in 137 for the ANC’s Geoff Makhubo, 101 for DA candidate Funzela Ngobeni and 30 for EFF candidate Musa Novela which meant that the ANC is now back at the helm.

ANC leaders in the provincial government such as MEC of Coghta Lebogang Maile and Premier David Makhura had threatened that the party would take over the city if uncertainty over the appointment of Mashaba’s replacement was allowed to continue six weeks after he quit the top job. The election of Makhubo seems to have prevented that takeover of the City’s affairs by the provincial government.

Makhubo is not an uncontroversial figure as some opposition party representative in the Council raised allegations that he benefitted to the tune of R30 million from a contract by the City which was not above board.

He has refuted those claim through his twitter account where he vowed that findings by the ANC in the matter would soon be made public.

“When my name was raised in the media with this allegation I approached the ANC integrity commission to probe the matter. The Commission has concluded its work and I have been cleared. The PEC will release the report. The mayoral candidate decision and reasons will be shared.”

Makhubo is 51 years old.