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Overview
THE executive mayor of Johannesburg, assisted by the mayoral committee, heads the executive arm of the City. Until 2000 the position of mayor of Johannesburg was largely a ceremonial one, with little direct power or responsibility in the hands of the city’s first citizen. But in December 2000 the role of mayor became an executive one, giving the incumbent strategic and political responsibility for a city the size of Los Angeles.
In 2006 the City became a pilot project for a different model for local government. Previously the offices of the executive mayor and City manager were completely separate, with the executive mayor’s role seen as exclusively political and the City manager’s function as heading up the administration.
The executive mayor
The executive mayor is at the centre of the system of governance, with executive powers to manage the City. This means that he or she has an overarching strategic and political responsibility. The executive mayor remains the first citizen and represents the City at ceremonial functions.
The executive mayor leads a 10-person mayoral committee, essentially a city-level "cabinet" that he or she has appointed. Each member of the mayoral committee has executive responsibility for a portfolio.
The current executive mayor of Johannesburg is Amos Masondo.
The offices of the executive mayor and the City manager were merged in 2006 to strengthen the implementing of political decisions.
The City manager continues to head the administrative part of the municipality. The combined office ensures proper alignment of policy development, monitoring and evaluation, and alignment of programmes and initiatives with the political agenda of the executive mayor and the mayoral committee.
The executive mayor's priorities
 Executive mayor Amos Masondo has identified six strategic priorities for the City:
- Economic growth and job creation
- Health and community development
- Housing and services
- Safe, clean and green city
- Well-governed and managed city
- HIV and Aids
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