Jolidee Matongo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jolidee Matongo
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Matongo in 2021
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| Mayor of Johannesburg | |
| In office 10 August 2021 – 18 September 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Geoff Makhubo |
| Succeeded by | Mpho Moerane |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1974 Soweto, Transvaal Province, South Africa |
| Died | 18 September 2021 (aged 45–46) Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Cause of death | Car accident |
| Political party | African National Congress |
| Alma mater | University of South Africa Milpark Education |
Jolidee Matongo (born 1974 – died September 18, 2021) was a South African politician. He served as the mayor of Johannesburg for a short time in 2021. Before becoming mayor, he was in charge of finance for the city. He was a member of the African National Congress, which is a big political party in South Africa.
Who Was Jolidee Matongo?
Jolidee Matongo was born in Soweto, a large township south of Johannesburg. His father was from Zimbabwe. Jolidee studied public management at the University of South Africa and Milpark Education. He was also working on a master's degree when he passed away. He lived with his family in Lenasia.
His Political Journey
Jolidee Matongo started getting involved in politics when he was only 13 years old. He was part of student groups like the Soweto Student Congress. Later, he became the head of communications for the African National Congress (ANC) in his region for eight years.
He worked for the City of Johannesburg's housing department. After that, he became the deputy director for youth development in the city. He also helped many important government officials in Gauteng province.
In 2011, he became an advisor for the person in charge of finance for the city. He was a member of the ANC's regional executive committee in Johannesburg for 18 years. During this time, he also spoke for the party.
Taking on Finance
Jolidee Matongo became the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance in December 2019. This happened after Geoff Makhubo became mayor. As the finance chief, Matongo worked on important money matters for the city.
In April 2021, he announced a new plan to help people who were struggling to pay their bills. Many people faced financial problems because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May, he promised to spend more money on improving areas like Ivory Park, Kliptown, and Orange Farm. He also gave a lot of money to the City Power company to make electricity services better.
Becoming Mayor
The previous mayor, Geoff Makhubo, sadly passed away from COVID-19 in July 2021. Jolidee Matongo was one of the top choices to become the new mayor. On August 5, 2021, the national leaders of the ANC officially supported him.
On August 10, 2021, Jolidee Matongo was elected mayor of Johannesburg. He was the only person nominated for the job, so he won without anyone running against him.
A Sad End
Jolidee Matongo's time as mayor was very short. He died in a car accident on September 18, 2021. The accident happened on the R553 road, also known as The Golden Highway. Two other people also died in the crash.
He had been mayor for just over a month. Earlier that day, he had been campaigning in Soweto with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa. He was also with Gauteng Premier David Makhura. They were getting ready for the municipal elections that were planned for November 1, 2021. His funeral was held a few days later, on September 21.
