Johannesburg was once a city of dreamers, a gold town that seduced prospectors from all over hoping to strike it rich. Lately, though, the city has been something of a political punchline, a metropolis where many residents’ spirits are as dark as the streetlights.
In May, after days of brinkmanship and arm twisting, the city inaugurated its sixth mayor in 22 months: Kabelo Gwamanda, a first-term city councilor from a political party that got just 1 percent of the vote in the previous municipal election.
His ascent capped the latest chapter in a political soap opera where mayoral terms are measured in weeks and months, and where the inability of council members to stick with a leader has resulted in a municipal mess. Johannesburg residents have been the biggest losers.
While political leaders bicker over power and cliques, exasperated residents often struggle through days without electricity and water, dodge cratered roads and fret about dilapidated buildings, such as the one that caught fire on Thursday.
On Thursday morning, Mr. Gwamanda was at the scene of the fire along with members of the city’s coalition government. He blamed years of neglect for the conditions that led to the blaze, although he vowed that his administration would be accountable.
“This government is only six months old, and already we are facing historic challenges,” he said.
