​Lerato Mailoane
The City of Johannesburg has elected Jolidee Matongo as the city's new Executive Mayor.
Matongo who was the former mayoral committee member for finance was elected uncontested on Tuesday. He replaces Geoff Makhubo succumbed to COVID-19 complications in July.
In his acceptance speech, Matongo called on the council to put aside their political differences in the best interest of residents.
 "It's not a one-man show, the team must come together. We must review their plans and everything that is on the table then make that official statement and council can engage with at the next meeting," he said.
He vowed to hit the ground running by prioritising good governance which he said was key in dealing with corruption and maladministration.
"Good governance is critical because we can have all the resources we want but if the resources are not deployable or used in a manner that ensures that services are delivered to the people of Johannesburg we are going to have a problem.
In addition to this, Matonga said the city is developing a financial and economic recovery plan with the provincial and national governments, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He hoped that this will help the city address unemployment, a focus work that had already begun during Makhubo's administration.
The new mayor holds various qqualifications from different institutions, including Diploma in Public Management, a Post Graduate Degree in Public Management, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Public Management. 
He is expected to announce the members of his mayoral committee during the next council meeting. ENDS