Newly elected mayor Johannesburg Jolidee Matongo has died in a car accident at the age of 46.
News of Matongo’s passing was confirmed by the metro’s spokesperson Mlimandlela Ndamase on Saturday evening.
The mayor had spent the day alongside ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa in Soweto campaigning for the party ahead of the November 1 municipal elections.
Matongo was elected just over a month ago following the passing of Geoff Makhubo from COVID-19 complications.
Previously he served as the city’s Finance MMC and was a long-serving member of the ANC, as well as spokesperson for the party in the Johannesburg region.
Last month Matongo faced criticism after he mentioned in his acceptance speech that he is the son of a Zimbabwean migrant.
“I, Jolidee Matongo, the son of the late Edward Matongo, a migrant from Zimbabwe, do hereby accept the nomination for the position of Executive Mayor of our city,” said the politician. Following, the announcement, social media was flooded with xenophobic comments directed at the new mayor.
The City of Johannesburg made it clear that the 46-year-old was born in Soweto and raised in Johannesburg, in response to people who were questioning his nationality.
“We grew up with Jolideee Matongo in the [Youth League], and today, we are canvassed to reject him because his father was Zimbabwean,” said Malema, who of course was a member of the ANC himself, once. Eye Witness News
vanouraya shaa havadi foreigner
Signup Dhliwayo haaa hakuna Zanu injidzi
Rest in power
I knew this was gonna end bad, the work of the Inkabis.
Tony Sibanda true
RIP homeboy
Very sad, MHSRIP
😔
The word Zimbabwe wy
Doctors Franklin What has that to do with Zim,as we text people are dying all over the world
This is so dad. RIP
But South Africans told him to step down but he refused now others are saying it was time others says he was assassinated.
Vanderbay Sibanda and your point is
Foreigner in South Africa means Zimbabwean or African in some instances. There are people like Trevor Noah whose father is from Switzerland like Jodilee father was from Zim. But they are treated diffrently depending on origins of the father. The Eauropean one is okay but the Zim one is a problem
Mordecai Mlambo Zimbos you are the creators of this situation,of all world citizens you are the only ones who go to extremes talking bad about your country
Hayiya Masuku whats good about Zanu PF? we dont sanitize shty thieves because they are Zimbabwean. Those low lives are the authors of Zim problems
Hayiya Masuku it’s true! I agree with you.
Shame
Sorry
Ohh dear ! It didn’t last long ,MHSRIP
He was killed
We have been robbed of a city father, one of our own
They killed him.
He was killed because of that name Zimbabwe. Rest in glory sir