The Democratic Alliance’s (DA's) Herman Mashaba emerged victorious at the Johannesburg council sitting after he was elected executive mayor on Monday night.

Mashaba received 144 votes against incumbent mayor Parks Tau’s 125. The DA’s Kevin Wax was elected council chief whip with 146 votes. Solomon Mogase of the ANC received 123 votes

The highly charged council meeting that followed the local government elections saw a long drawn voting process marred by objections from the parties.

DA’s Vasco da Gama was eventually elected speaker late in the afternoon on Monday. His election was followed by the nomination of mayoral and chief whip candidates. The casting of votes was further was delayed after an ANC councillor, Nonhlanhla Stompi Lettie Mthembu fell sick and collapsed. She was later confirmed dead by the paramedics.

Her untimely death sent a sombre mood among councillors who ceased with the singing and heckling each other inside the city hall.

At the request of the ANC caucus, the political parties agreed to vote for mayor and chief whip of council at the same time. The ANC told newly elected speaker Da Gama that they would not await results and would all leave immediately after voting to honour Mthembu’s memory.

Mthembu was 50, from Soweto and worked at the African National Congress’s Johannesburg office as a labour relations officer.

DA and Economic Freedom Fighters’ members sang and danced after the announcement of the vote outcome, with Mashaba hoisted high in jubilation.

Councillors of the two parties sang “thupa e etla” in unison, loosely translated “we are cracking the whip” a popular revolutionary song of the EFF and stomped their feet across the venue. Tau had left the venue immediately after casting his vote.