Sunday | September 19, 2021

Gauteng – Johannesburg Executive Mayor Jolidee Matongo was involved in a freak car accident that cost his life on Saturday, Sept. 18, his office confirmed. The Mayor was reportedly on his way home in Lenasia, a few kilometers away from Soweto.

Few hours earlier, Mr. Matongo was part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s entourage on a campaign trail in Soweto, South of Johannesburg, for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE). 

The Soweto walkabout was seen as the last ditch effort by the embattled and seemingly divided African National Congress (ANC) to appeal to the disenfranchised citizens to go out in their numbers and register for the upcoming municipal elections. Among the ANC bigshots were Gauteng Premier David Makhura, Head Election Campaigns Fikile Mbalula and party spokesperson Pule Mabe.

This LGE voter campaign coincided with  the Sept. 18 and 19 voter registration weekend as the penultimate event before municipal election day on Nov. 1, 2021.

According to the City of Johannesburg Mayoral Communications’ Phindile Chauke confirmed that “Matongo was traveling with two of his VIP (Very Important Persons) protectors at the time of the accident. However, she said they, the protectors, sustained injuries after the tragic car crash.

Councilor Jolidee Matongo was elected unanimously (by 269 councilors) recently as Johannesburg Mayor on Aug. 10, 2021 after the then incumbent Geoff Makhubo succumbed to Covid-19 related complications and passed on in July.

The 46-year-old Soweto-born Matongo was the City of Johannesburg Finance MMC before he ascended to the Mayoral office.

Using his Twitter handle, @CyrilRamaphosa, the President extended profound condolences:·

“It is hard to comprehend this tragedy, given the vitality and passion with which Mayor Matongo interacted with me and residents of Soweto so shortly before his death. The time we spent together has been rendered a priceless treasure given his untimely and traumatic passing. May his soul rest in peace.”