Ronald Winston Harris

Attendance

Present

58

Leave of absence

6

Absent without leave

0

Arrived late

2

Left early

5

Reasons given for leave: Private business (3), Party business (2), Ill health (1).

"Absent without leave" means the signed minutes of a meeting held while they were on council neither list them as present nor excuse them, and no similar name appears that day, so misspellings in the minutes don't count against anyone. Each square links to the minutes.

In the chamber

From the 10 sittings transcribed so far in their term. Times are approximate, to the nearest transcript line.

Not present when called

4

Times given the floor

32

Average wait to start

18 s

Average greetings first

2 s

Apology or leave of absence (2)

• 22 Jul 2026 · 00:51:52Arriving late. Will be delayed. sitting
• 24 Jun 2026 · 00:28:58Party business. ACDP notified party business; he may join later. sitting

Not present when called (4)

• 30 Sept 2026 · 08:30:06Called on item 24; he returned at 08:30:23 saying he was back. sitting
• 22 Jul 2026 · 03:34:52An ACDP member said Harris was not there and the ACDP noted the report. sitting
• 24 Jun 2026 · 01:21:29Chair asked whether Harris had arrived; reply was not yet. sitting
• 24 Jun 2026 · 02:21:00Chair noted Harris was absent and moved to the next speaker. sitting

Not ready when called (1)

• 24 Jun 2026 · 03:32:12Having just walked in, he asked at 03:32:29 to be moved to number three on the speakers' list. sitting

Warned or stopped by the chair (4)

• 30 Sept 2026 · 05:19:16Chair called Harris to order after he spoke out of turn during the vote; he apologised. sitting
• 27 Aug 2026 · 01:04:53Chair stopped his speech because item 34 had not been elevated. sitting
• 24 Jun 2026 · 05:56:29Chair told Councillor Harris to stay seated. sitting
• 24 Jun 2026 · 06:07:32Chair told Councillor Harris to wait to be called. sitting

In their words

Every time the chair gave them the floor in a transcribed sitting (32), newest first. The words are the AI transcript of that stretch of the livestream (Argon), so they can include the chair or an interjection; the time link is the place to check.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 08:30:23Item 24: Reviewed social burial policy · 2 min 24 s

  Read what they said (358 words)

  Madam Speaker, I'm back. Sorry.

  Can you speak, Councillor? Item 24.

  Thank you. Thank you so much, Madam Speaker, for indulging me. Um, the ACDP rises to speak to this item in support of indigent burial policy. I think this is one of the most heartwarming policies that the has been tabled today, because really it does speak to uh people who are desperate in times of the most severe uh trial.

  What I'm glad to see, Madam Speaker, is that the what is included in the policy now is the reopening of the graves and the provision of uh family cars. What I don't see in the policy, though, is the uh provision of vegetables uh and and food because I think that's also a a an expense item that the uh families would really love to to um to make use of or to receive.

  As far as the application entry point is concerned, um it the policy hasn't changed from having the ward councillors do that and the and the ward administrators give a letter. But, it would be good if the policy would be uh would consider including the PR councillors in this process as well. Not that we want to usurp the powers of the ward councillors,

  but uh I think it makes it so much easier for those who are destitute to shorten this uh red tape when they walk into that maze of bureaucracy to try and and get a uh an indigent burial. But, on the whole, we are we are really um pleased about this policy. I think it really goes a long way to show that the city is really um a city that cares,

  and we trust that those that are implementing the policy will be so much more humane and that they will remove all of the various steps that the indigent need to uh take to uh receive this the benefit of this policy. But, I want to just express my sincere thanks to the uh originators of this policy. I think it is really a sign of humanity. Thank you so much, Madam Speaker.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 07:10:08Item 16: Recognition of 379 informal settlements · 1 min 44 s

  Read what they said (233 words)

  Once again, good afternoon, Madam Speaker. I rise to speak to item 16. The report requests the council to recognise a consolidated total of 379 verified informal settlements. It also seeks to obtain council approval and authorisation for the utilisation of land on which the recognised informal settlements are situated, subject to the applicable land ownership arrangements.

  Amongst the settlements the city is asked to recognise is Kathrada Park in Region B with 297 households. This is wholly inaccurate because the nearly 3,000 shacks in the area are not tabulated. Zamimpilo has turned into a mining town with 3,200 reported households. Council recognition of this settlement is tacit admission that the fight against illegal mining and other illegalities is lost.

  What do the residents of neighbouring Horseshoe think about this? While bona fide residents' living conditions may be uplifted over time, we are essentially giving a blank cheque to shack farmers to continue their business unhindered. Finally, no mention is made of the plans to deal with the thousands of shack dwellers trapped in historically disadvantaged areas. To my knowledge, there is no better class of shack dweller

  and one class getting better treatment than the other. It is highly irresponsible to agree to the permanence of these informal settlements with no indication of plans for in situ development and the eventual eradication of informal settlements. That's my submission, Madam. I thank you.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 05:27:47Item 8 Employment Equity Policy Framework · 2 min 34 s

  Read what they said (366 words)

  Thank you so much, Madam Speaker. I rise to speak on item 8, the Employment Equity Policy. Madam Speaker, I can't understand why is it that 32 years after the fall of apartheid, we are forced to implement a national policy that still speaks to racial quotas, and yet we're supposed to be a non-racial South Africa. That is uh that's a question that needs some strong drink to make it go down.

  But here's my challenge, Madam Speaker: In a City of Johannesburg with so many um so many challenges, and I speak specifically about the um minorities, and in this case, the Coloured people, if you look at the serious unemployment rates that are going on there, and yet they are confined to not getting more than three or four out of every 100 um employment opportunities, and it extends to other parts of the economy as well. So, my contention, Madam Speaker, is that the City of Johannesburg

  Yes, love?

  Hayi, what loves are going on? Uh-uh, go love somewhere else. Councillor.

  Can I carry on? Uh Madam Speaker, I believe that even though the City of Johannesburg is doing the right thing by um implementing the policy in line with the national policy, the City of Johannesburg should be bold enough to say to the Minister of Labour that the Employment Equity Act is a devastating piece of legislation that is killing the hopes and dreams of so many young people in the City of Johannesburg.

  The policy may be right, it's lacking, I think, in terms of the uh focus on people with disabilities, but I think we need to get to a stage as Johannesburgers and as South Africans to reject this race-based quotas because it is killing everything that we hold dear as South Africans. We

  will never ever be able to create a national consciousness whilst this piece of legislation is on the books, it must be rejected.

  And the City of Johannesburg must be bold and stand up and say that we, on behalf of the citizens, the all six million residents of Johannesburg, reject this policy out of hand. We note the report, Madam. Thank you.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 05:08:50Item 7 GBVF Strategy · 2 min 15 s

  Read what they said (310 words)

  Uh thank you, Madam Speaker. Uh the ACDP is grateful that this item is being tabled. On the 26th of December 2024, Chesnay Keppler was shot and killed by her boyfriend in Eldorado Park. Nearly two years later, the matter is still crawling through the justice system. The family of Boitumelo Mashita is left grieving after losing their daughter so senselessly this past Monday.

  I quote from the report and uh open quotes: "GBVF, being a transversal matter, is addressed by government at all levels through a plethora of relevant national, provincial, and local laws, legislation, policies, and strategies. The integration of these interventions is critical." If the above is not taken seriously, bureaucracy and red tape will emasculate this timeous strategy.

  Amongst the initiatives suggested would be attention to street lighting, employing and empowering patrollers at hotspots, with training and skills development, empowering first responders to cases of violence, challenging SAPS to take every report seriously, and then last and not but not least, the cost containment cannot be an issue in implementing this strategy.

  A real test would be the employment of social workers outside of the dictates of the Employment Equity Act. The demographics of the people employed must match the people being served. Access to safe housing is critical. There are a number of abandoned buildings that can be refurbished. It requires political will to do this. The Targeted Beneficiaries Unit must engage the community, and they must be given powers to extract cooperation from all role players and stakeholders.

  I think particularly the fact that the SAPS would turn away GBV uh complainants, I think that needs to be addressed seriously, though that's not our competency. May this policy help to ensure those who have lost their lives will never remain more than statistics. The ACDP supports this item, Madam Speaker, and I thank you.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:49:32Item 5 Land Assembly Strategy · 5 s

  Read what they said (8 words)

  Madam Speaker, apologies, the ACDP notes the report.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:40:05Item 4 Informal Settlements Policy · 1 min 58 s

  Read what they said (259 words)

  Uh thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm rising to speak to the item four. The ACDP recognizes that the upgrading of informal settlements is a favored strategy of the Human Settlements Department, and it will take place in an incremental basis. Various codes and grants are in support of the strategy. Despite a wide variety of policy instruments available, informal settlements have expanded rapidly. The city is forced to legalize illegality,

  uh firstly because they have failed to enforce existing bylaws, and secondly, their hands are bound by the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act. While acknowledging this strategy, key elements are sketchy. We note the use of different funding instruments. No budget or indication of a minimum annual budget is allocated to the strategy. The financial viability of the strategy is not adequately defined.

  Key performance indicators and key deliverables of the informal settlements management unit is not set out. Stakeholder reviews are questionable. Residents of the informal settlements may benefit and have their dignity restored, but the impact on the wider community is not taken into consideration. Many settlements are next to suburbs and townships, and this policy may be construed as forced integration. There is no timelines provided for implementation. The risks associated with this policy are not clearly defined.

  Accountability with regard to transversal relationships is not clearly defined either. For example, what recourse does Human Settlements have if Pikitup fails to provide services and end illegal dumping? The ACDP notes the tabling of this policy, and I thank you, Ma'am.

• 27 Aug 2026 · 02:07:32Item 29: irregular expenditure motivation · 1 min 58 s

  Read what they said (260 words)

  Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to item 29, the motivation that council recover or certify as irrecoverable and regularise irregular expenditure for August 2026. The Municipal Public Accounts Committee is tasked by its terms of reference and in terms of the MFMA with investigating all unauthorised, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure. After investigating its expenditure, MPAC

  must provide motivation to the council in terms of the municipal budget and reporting regulations. While the law allows for this regularisation through investigation thorough investigation has to be conducted. Steps must be taken to recover the money or institute consequence management against a responsible official or officials. With due respect to the Section 79 committee, these reports are exceedingly vague on who was responsible and the steps taken against these persons.

  As good stewards of the public purse, must we be content to read that the information is available and I quote, "While the UIFW expenditure is too numerous to detail within this report, the investigative reports and the minutes of the committee meetings may be made available for inspection," end quote. As a disciplined member of the ACDP, we cannot in good conscience agree

  to this condonation. The background information must be made available as a matter of course, not by special request a day or two before the council sitting. The minutes must reflect that the ACDP notes the regulatory framework, but we do not agree with the manner in which the background information, the potential for recovery and consequence management are presented. This report is noted, thank you.

• 27 Aug 2026 · 01:05:49Item 35: Academy for chartered accountants training policy · 52 s

  Read what they said (115 words)

  Thank you so much. I rise to speak to item 35. Uh recent graduates face serious challenges with fi- finding work and gaining the requisite experience. In light of this crisis, the aca- academy of chartered accountants training program policy is thus a welcome initiative to bridge this gap. This noble idea though is overshadowed by the legalized discrimination built into

  it. It is subject to the same racial parameters as de- de- uh defined in the Employment Equity Act. As long as this legislation exists, there will always be the feeling that apartheid is alive and well, and living on the statute books 32 years after our fabled freedom. The ACDP notes this report.

• 27 Aug 2026 · 01:02:58Item 34: Group Employment Equity Policy Framework · 1 min 55 s

  Read what they said (242 words)

  Uh greetings once again, uh Madam Mayor. Um I rise to speak to item 34, the request for the approval of the Revised Group Employment Equity Policy Framework. The Employment Equity Act is a piece of national leg- legislation that has placed the Metro in a straitjacket and has effectively emasculated it in its quest to achieve an inclusive city. On paper, the objectives

  of this piece of leg- legislation are noble. It's the use of affirmative action to support designated groups, which is black people, women, and people with disabilities to stop unfair discrimination based on race, disability, age, religion, or gender to promote equal chances and fair pay for work of equal value and to fix past employment imbalances.

  There are unforeseen circumstances though dogging this legislation. Barely 1,500 p- people are employed in the city out of 37,000 plus workforce. Indian employees are even less. Legally, coloured people are not seen as black Africans. They are part of the blacks in general and not part of Africans in particular. Coloured people

  are condemned to never receive more than 3% of employment and other economic opportunities. Merit is relegated to a distant position behind race. The fallout of this travesty of just- of justice is felt most notably on the streets of Ward 68, 69, and 82, where whole communities are trapped in a vortex of poverty, unemployment, despondency, violence, and a raft of social ills. The pain of this

• 27 Aug 2026 · 00:11:48Applications for leave of absence · 9 s

  Read what they said (12 words)

  Good morning, Madam Speaker. Uh Councilor Chris Rohlssen, ill health. Thank you.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 08:12:1615 and 16 · 2 min 31 s

  Read what they said (344 words)

  Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to items 15 and 16. As the ACDP, we commend the architects of these plans for well-researched and well-thought-out and well-documented plans. From a desktop research perspective, it will be unfair to critique the high standard of the plans for the regions. I found the catalytic project framework particularly interesting, purely from the point of view of what is left out.

  More emphasis could be placed on the digital environment and gaming as viable industries. In a way, these plans are like carrying coals to Newcastle. What I find problematic is the socioeconomic and spatial analysis. The gross value added table presented clearly indicates that Region G is the most deprived region in the City of Johannesburg. Is it too difficult to craft a plan to uplift this region?

  Region B is shown to be relatively affluent. If a deeper dive is taken into this region, it will reveal that Ward 69 and 82 are a far cry from the aggregated figures attributed to them. There are no economic opportunities channeled into these wards. Unemployment is rife. Poverty strides these wards like a colossus. Death lives there because being an assassin seems to be the career of choice for young people.

  The social ills plaguing these areas are a direct result of what is not being done in those areas. We see that many of those people are marginalized and they are trapped in those areas, the slums owned by the City of Johannesburg. Then we must ask: When will Ward 69 and 82 receive the kind of attention

  that is so wonderfully expounded in these plans? To the administrators in Development Planning and Economic Development, please leave your offices. Look at what is happening on the ground in Ward 69 and 82 and other historically disadvantaged areas, then craft development plans that are just, equitable and an indication that the metro is in tune with the pain and suffering of the voiceless and downtrodden.

  We note these plans. May implementation be speedy and seamless. I thank you.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 07:53:3514 · 1 min 27 s

  Read what they said (173 words)

  Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to Item 14, the implementation plan for the Township Economies By-law. The by-law is aimed at regulating, formalizing, and growing micro and small businesses in townships. In noting this report, the ACDP acknowledges that the implementation of the Township Economies By-law requires coordinated institutional and operational support across departments and entities.

  We trust this cooperation will be effective, but it must not be used as a tool to stifle development through onerous requirements and excessive red tape. Communication and stakeholder engagement processes are vital to promote awareness and respect of the by-law. Compliance should be encouraged. It is critical that support be provided to facilitate business formalization, ongoing stakeholder feedback, and to support

  implementation readiness across the city. We urge that the stakeholder engagement must include the Socio-Economic Rights Institute and the Human Rights Commission. These bodies are notorious for picking holes in policies to emasculate the enforcement agencies and to defend lawlessness based on technicalities. The ACDP notes the implementation plan as presented. I thank you.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 06:45:068 · 24 s

  Read what they said (58 words)

  Um, Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to item 8, uh, the increase in the price of gas. It is in line with the Consumer Price Index, so the ACDP does welcome it. May I just take this moment as well to wish all the Pirates supporters the very best year they're ever going to have. Thank you.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 06:36:387 · 1 min 18 s

  Read what they said (195 words)

  Uh, Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to this item. Um, in March 2026, Egoli Gas submitted the request for an increase in the price of gas. The pricing model expired on the 30th of June 2026. The new pricing model was to have started on the 1st of July 2026. It is now the end of August and this council is asked to approve a pricing model retroactively. This raises an interesting moral and ethical question.

  Is this regulated, in this regulated environment, should prices be increased by Egoli Gas without approval of the pricing model and the increases by council? In the ACDP opinion, it is expedient for Egoli Gas to do that, but it is not fair on consumers. The delay in presenting this report to council is an administrative lapse that should not be tolerated. An observation on the pricing model, it appears to be a complex technical model designed to deter anyone outside

  of the industry who is tempted to find out how the pricing for gas is determined. The layperson will be lost in the jargon. The ACDP notes the complex pricing model and we accept this. Thank you.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 06:04:586 · 1 min 55 s

  Read what they said (257 words)

  Good afternoon once again, Madam Speaker. I rise to speak to the acceptance of the grant funding from the Global Environmental Facility.

  Please speak into the mic, Councillor.

  Certainly. The ACDP welcomes the inclusion of the City of Johannesburg in the Sustainable Cities Integrated Program. The program is a pilot in the city where rooftop solar photovoltaic systems will be installed on municipal buildings to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and strengthen energy security. The pilot project is intended to demonstrate the technical and operational viability of

  Councillor Harris, hold on. Executive Mayor and Councillor Ndlela. Thank you. Councillor Harris.

  Are you resetting the clock, Madam? The pilot project is intended to demonstrate the technical and operational viability of rooftop solar installations, though it will contribute only a portion of the total potential identified in a study. While this project is confined to municipal buildings, we trust the city will become a leading advisory service to residents who want to implement similar technology. There are advantages and disadvantages to using

  solar energy and renewable energy integration as part of the energy mix and energy grid. We trust this pilot will generate more advantages for citizens, specifically with relation to the cost associated with generating electricity. The unanswered question to this stage, at this stage, is what will the return on investment be on the 6.5 million US dollars the city is required to pay over the next five years

  for this project? So, having said that, Madam Speaker, the ACDP acknowledges and notes this report. Thank you.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 04:56:20Item 38 · 8 s

  Read what they said (19 words)

  Madam Speaker, uh I concur in terms of Rule 84, the ACDP's dissension must please be noted. Thank you.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 03:29:17Item 37 · 2 min 38 s

  Read what they said (325 words)

  Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to speak to item 36, which is a testament to failure within the

  Item 37.

  Sorry, 37. My apologies. I rise to speak to item 37, um which is a testament to the failure of the Human Settlements Department and some of the human resources management practices. Mr. Patrick Phophi was appointed on the 1st of December 2020

  Councillor Harris, just hold on. Councillor Cloete, switch off your mic, please. Thank you, Councillor Harris.

  That was a it it a

  What preceded that was a process where the MMC and senior managers were involved in the selection process. On the 3rd of July 2025, MEC Mamabolo sent a note saying that the incumbent did not qualify.

  In our Section 79 committee meetings we were constantly told that the process had been interdicted by the second placed person. Never did we ever see that Patrick Phophi did not qualify. So it's taken from the 1st of December 2024, we are now on the 26th of August 2026, and now only we decide we get the news that Patrick Phophi

  did not qualify. So was it a legal process? Was it a failure of internal processes?

  Ons weet nie.

  But I think the misleading of the Section 79 committee is something that really needs to be looked into seriously, because they cannot tell us that the process is interdicted when they know that the incumbent did not qualify. So we note this, ma'am, and I want to concur that human settlements is so important. There are old age homes that are in need of dire leadership. There's a problem with the allocation process.

  In fact, there's the Human Settlements Department is like a cork in a raging sea. It's going absolutely nowhere with respect to them. So this leadership is so critically needed, and we appeal that this process mustn't take another six months before somebody is appointed. I thank you.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 00:43:59Applications for leave of absence · 11 s

  Read what they said (15 words)

  Good morning Madam Speaker, all protocols observed. Uh, Councillor Rohlssen is off sick. Thank you.

• 22 Jul 2026 · 05:53:1620, 21 and 22 · 2 min 29 s

  Read what they said (352 words)

  Good afternoon, Madam Speaker, Executive Mayor, City Manager, all officials, councillors. I greet you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to the items 20, 21, and 22, the third quarter reports for the Human Settlements Department and JOSHCO. As a member of the Section 79 Committee, we interrogated these reports, we asked questions and made comments. We agree that, in principle, these reports address the Service Delivery Budget and Implementation Plan,

  the business plans, the IDP, and required regulations. I quote from the reports: "Over this period, the department deepened its commitment to delivering sustainable human settlements, improving living conditions, expanding access to home ownership, and enhancing institutional effectiveness." End quote. There are elements missing from this statement, however: the mythical waiting list for housing; the impenetrable allocations regime catering for those with applications between 6 and

  16 years old; the soul-sucking interactions with officials who are cold towards those who they're supposed to serve; the deplorable living conditions of those trapped in high-density estates; the lack of pride in the properties owned and managed by the city; the vibrant market for the sale of units owned by the city while revenue generation rates are extremely low. What am I saying? These reports are sterile documents that tell us what the Human Settlements Department wants us and Treasury to hear.

  Despite the repetition of projects slowly creeping along, there are no indications that this department is serious about decisively dealing with the housing crisis facing the city. The selective issuing of title deeds is an indication that there is no plan to free deserving residents from the slums the city manages and to officially lift them out of the economic doldrums. No detail on the five-year maintenance plan and the actual budget for the planned work is presented. Concerning JOSHCO,

  30 seconds, Councillor.

  the solvency and currency ratios, together with the overdraft on the sweeping account, are an indication that this entity is in severe financial trouble. The ACDP notes these reports despite the fact that they do not inspire hope. Thank you.

• 25 Jun 2026 · 05:52:27Items 1-4 · 3 min 41 s

  Read what they said (510 words)

  Thank you, Madam Speaker. Once again, I rise to

  Councillor Mazibuko, Councillor Harris, just hold on. Councillor Mazibuko, you are sharing your time with Councillor Coogan.

  Yeah, I just...

  You have four minutes and Councillor Coogan has four minutes.

  We were also keeping tab of the time here, Madam Speaker, and according to our records, we only have 2 minutes 57 seconds.

  No, no, no. No, no, no. No, no, no. Here's the clock. Here's the clock and I'm watching the clock. I don't go over that clock. Your watch is running very fast there, very slow. No, I'm keeping tab here. The clock is here. Councillor Harris, you have three minutes. It's on. When you start speaking, we press.

  The Community Development Section 79 Committee would have considered these reports. They comply with the requirements of the MFMA and the MSA. They partially address Auditor-General concerns and the Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plans. However, as the ACDP, we must question some of the operational issues, specifically the state of the swimming pools.

  40 out of 57 pools were open during the peak period. How did 17 pools fall into such a deplorable state of disrepair? Using the unavailability of chemicals is an easy way out to cover mismanagement. Page 74 of the first quarter report, which is for July and September, stated that Newclare and Coronationville swimming pools were closed.

  This report indicates the pools are still closed. The boilers at Coronationville must be reset. Newclare swimming pool is waiting for City Power to conduct an audit. Where exactly is the urgency to serve the young people of Johannesburg? Generally, maintenance is made more difficult by aging infrastructure. There is no indication that Capex will be made available to upgrade critical infrastructure.

  The band-aid approach is clearly not working. Sports and recreation reached 1.1 million participants. The service delivery report indicates that less than 10 schools participated in some kind of activity. It would be interesting to understand how this number was reached. The City of Johannesburg is home to around 670 public schools and around 400 independent private schools.

  There is no indication that Comdev has a plan to partner with these schools to encourage healthy, active lifestyles. Granted, schooling is a provincial competency. However, the CoJ has a range of sporting facilities and its aim is to promote equitable access to sports and recreation

  45 seconds.

  facilities. We urge the Sports and Recreation Department to sweat these assets, considering that participation in sporting activity, arts and culture are among the tools available to break the back of social ills, especially gangsterism. The JCPZ is facing three challenges. The first is erratic and inadequate funding from core. The second is the reluctance of internal departments to pay for services rendered, and the third is a reluctance of management to vigorously pursue public-private partnerships

  that could ease the maintenance burden and generate revenue streams for the city. The ACDP notes, acknowledges the work done by Comdev, and particularly its Section 79 Chairman. We note these reports. Thank you.

• 25 Jun 2026 · 05:44:377 · 16 s

  Read what they said (29 words)

  Madam Speaker, in terms of Rule 84, please register the ACDP's dissent, because Westbury down the road is in a rotten state and nothing is happening there. Thank you.

• 25 Jun 2026 · 02:34:3184 · 2 min 47 s

  Read what they said (347 words)

  Good morning, Madam Speaker. I greet you, the executive, our visitors. I rise to speak to Item 84, the authorization to transfer the budget shortfall for the implementation of the biogas pilot project to the Development Bank of South Africa. Madam Speaker, this project is a monument to the visionless management, obfuscation, indecisiveness and kicking the can down the road.

  It is a case study on gatekeeping and the abuse of sustainable

  Councillor Sifumba and Councillor Avant-Smith.

  No, no, no, Councillor, your leader has already recognized that you were talking. Thank you. Councillor Harris.

  Uh thank you, Madam Speaker. If you can please start the clock again, it would be appreciated.

  Clock was stopped. Thank you.

  If ever there is a project that GFIS must investigate, this is it. This is a project beautifully wrapped in complex administrative jargon. Since its inception in 2014, R46.4 million of a projected 124 million has been spent on a pilot that was mired in controversy, including a legal battle with an overseas company. One of the reasons given for the lack of progress in the non-responsiveness to requests for proposals,

  it is not non-responsiveness, it is the onerous configuration of the hoops that potential bidders would have to jump through to present their technologies and proposals. Supply chain management processes and public-private partnership bureaucracy is killing the development spirit of the city. In contrast, the American space agency designed and sent their manned vehicle to the moon and back. The trip itself was completed in under 12 days.

  This program started in 2017. The uhm pilot project that we are talking about started in 2016. Uhm after 12 years, they still plodding along to the finalization of a biogas project. As the ACDP, we strongly urge EISD to wake up to the fact that there is a waste management crisis in the city. We view this transfer as a final acknowledgment

  50 seconds left.

  of the failure to deal with the issues of renewable energy and waste to energy initiatives. The ACDP acknowledges this report and supports it. Thank you.

• 24 Jun 2026 · 07:32:0785 · 1 min 52 s

  Read what they said (241 words)

  Dankie, Mevrou Speaker.

  I rise to speak to item 85, the updated shareholder compacts. I am so delighted to see this report, Madam Speaker, because there's one item in it and that speaks to accountability that is just absolutely absent. You know, we watched, and I don't know about everybody else, but I watched on television as our Mayor and Deputy Mayor and City Manager cringed

  and squirmed in Parliament as they were held accountable and questioned about the performance of the City of Johannesburg, whereas the CEOs and boards are noticeably absent whenever it comes to being held accountable. Even us as councillors, we are held accountable when the lights go off, when the water flows in the streets, and when drains are blocked.

  And the boards and the CEOs are absolutely absent. So I'm quite delighted that this item is there is a note about it in this report. And I trust that this accountability will be extended to all the boards because all of those CEOs and boards are noticeably absent when people are supposed to be held accountable. And I trust that as we go into a new era

  after the 4th of November, that accountability will be spread evenly and that the quality of the boards that are appointed will go beyond singers and dancers and psychiatrists and people who are not fit for purpose. So the ACDP notes this report with thanks. Thank you, Madam.

• 24 Jun 2026 · 06:07:4674 · 1 min 38 s

  Read what they said (214 words)

  Thank you, Madam Speaker. Councillor Benjamin said I mustn't sit next to her. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to Item 74, the Pikitup Performance Improvement Action Plan. Any plan must have some element of creativity and developmentalism in it. By no means, this report seems to just go about ticking the normal boxes. So we will support it,

  but we must place on record, Madam Speaker, that the city is running short of landfill space. But this report only talks about monitoring the air above existing landfill spaces. It doesn't talk about looking for additional landfill space. It doesn't refer to the biogas project that is coming on later on.

  The waste-to-energy, those millions of tons of waste that the city is collecting is just piling up all over the show, and it's spilling over into the streets and so forth. So while we note and approve this report, Madam Speaker, we are asking Pikitup and the authorities, the managers, the political office bearers, please look into this department because they are just going about the normal things as like they're in a coma. We need to do something to rescue the city from the filth and the mess that it is in. So the ACDP notes and accepts this report. Thank you.

• 24 Jun 2026 · 05:56:4673 · 13 s

  Read what they said (28 words)

  Madam Speaker, good afternoon once again. I rise to speak to Item 73, the City Power Trading Reform Strategy. The ACDP notes and accepts this report. Thank you.

• 24 Jun 2026 · 05:48:1072 · 14 s

  Read what they said (28 words)

  Thank you once again Madam Speaker. I rise to speak to item 72, Johannesburg Water's performance improvement action plan. The ACDP notes and accepts this plan. Thank you.

• 24 Jun 2026 · 05:01:3570 · 2 min 0 s

  Read what they said (267 words)

  Thank you, councillor. Uh ANC, Councillor Madiba. I've noted you. I've noted you. Councillor Madiba.

  Thank you so much, uh Madam Speaker. Greetings once again. Um I rise to speak to item 70. Uh Madam Speaker, in Florida, on Lake Road, um City Power has a massive training centre that looks like a barn there. Nobody goes in. You don't see any movement around there, but in this report,

  they very tragically and sadly say that they are spending 164 million rand on consultants because they have only one qualified electrical engineer. Now, that is a mortal sin, I believe, in light of the high unemployment rates, the graduates that are sitting on the streets, and we are paying consultants who are not emotionally attached

  and invested in the city to do the work that people that we should be employing should be doing. So, I note this report. And um I'm I'm just trusting that the powers that be at City Power will not take the easy way out and do things that are are really contrary to their mandate, but they will get serious about fixing the issues within

  the City of Johannesburg, and I trust that we as well, particularly the Budget Steering Committee and the people that are looking at at equitable share particularly, will think about the infrastructure backlogs that the City of uh the city is City Power is experiencing, and that they will do something concrete because our people, the residents, the people that are paying for services, are being short-changed. They're not getting value for money. I thank you.

• 28 May 2026 · 05:53:37Item 2 · 17 s

  Read what they said (35 words)

  Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good afternoon everybody once again. I'd like to speak on item two, the tabling of the 2026-2027 Institutional Service Delivery Budget and Implementation Plan. The ACDP notes this item. Thank you.

• 28 May 2026 · 04:25:59Item 1 · 4 min 8 s

  Read what they said (578 words)

  Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to speak to Item 1, the IDP and business plans. The IDP is presented in line with the requirements of Section 23

  Councillors on my right, sorry, Councillor Harris. Councillors on my right, those that are moving out, please move out silently. Councillor Harris, you can carry on.

  Please start the clock again, Madam Speaker.

  I have not.

  Sections 23(1), 26, and 34 of the Municipal Systems Act. A good plan will outline the current realities and give an analysis of challenges like housing, infrastructure deficits, poverty levels, and other socioeconomic issues faced by the city. It should capture the strategic vision, as well as detailed project proposals and budgets. Lastly, there should be KPIs to track and monitor implementation.

  These items tick all these boxes. The honesty in acknowledging the catalogue of infrastructure failure, fiscal challenges, erratic electricity and water supply, high crime levels, lawlessness, and deepening socioeconomic inequality must be commended. However, this degradation did not happen overnight or in a vacuum. Human Settlements particularly is a Pandora's box of despair,

  pain, and the inability to cater to the needs of those trapped for years in a nebulous waiting list for housing and an opportunity to be housed in retirement villages. There are over 30,000 people employed by the city with a wage bill closer to 22 billion than the reported 20 billion, who pitch up to work but are seemingly impotent to stop the decay. I generalize, of course, because there are pockets of excellence within the city.

  The key interventions to remedy the situation are acknowledged. There is an elephant in the room when we talk of the public commenting process. The IDP is compiled by officials. Councillors are invited to the IDP meetings, and they, together with communities, present their wish lists. We acknowledge that the city cannot cater to all the people all the time. The injustice, though, is amplified when some people are catered to all the time.

  When these items are approved and the wishes of certain communities are not reflected, the councillor is going to bear the brunt of community dissatisfaction. I could use the stolen swimming pool in Eldorado Park as an example. However, I want to cite the stolen Union Stadium as a prime example. No budget is allocated to rebuilding what could be a powerful catalyst for change within Region B.

  The reason why no budget is allocated, someone wrote, is because the community vandalizes facilities. Collective punishment is meted out to communities and the youth specifically because the city has no plan to protect community-based assets, and we are weak at engaging stakeholders to optimally use and care for these facilities. This example is indicative of the way the city is allocating resources following a path of least resistance.

  The business plans are not really an indication of creativity and innovation within the different entities and departments. In reality, they are straitjackets and invisible boundaries ensuring the least is being done. The ACDP encourages the residents of the city to register to vote on the 20th and 21st of June. On the 4th of November, send more ACDP councillors into Council so that we can lead this great city to an era of innovation,

  development, integrity, servant leadership, technical proficiency, and above all, the restoration of the trust deficit between public office bearers

  and those we serve. The ACDP notes these items, but with severe reservations. I thank you.

• 28 May 2026 · 02:15:50Item 3: debate on the budget speech · 4 min 53 s

  Read what they said (687 words)

  Greetings once again, Madam Speaker, uh EM, Deputy Mayor, MMCs, colleagues. I rise to speak to items uh to the response to the speech. I'd like to say congratulations to you, Madam Deputy Executive Mayor and MMC of Finance, on your maiden budget speech. Uh also congratulations to the team who worked behind the scenes to make this possible. All the right words were said.

  The revolutionary phrases were dotted around and the obligatory reference to the inherited mess from the previous coalition was not forgotten. Even the old zombie apartheid got its kiss of life. The reality is that this speech and all the others will be judged by measurable improvements in residents' lived experiences. Just a few of my observations. The Metro Trading Services reform is welcomed.

  More can be done to streamline structures and systems for greater efficiency and effectiveness and to minimize cross-subsidization. As far as cost recovery is concerned, the ACDP waits in anticipation to see how the challenges of expectations of free lunches and the user-pay principle will be welded into a model where hard-pressed paying residents and businesses and freeloaders are united in their civic duty to pay their fair share.

  It would have been good to hear what would be done about the prescribed debt that no doubt makes up a substantial part of the R72 billion debtors book. The ACDP caucus would also like to acknowledge the idea of applying opportunity cost and the financial turnaround framework and its various pillars. I'd just like to just focus on labor stability.

  The city has closed the loop with the politically facilitated agreement. Now we trust that the workers and the unions will deliver their part by optimizing productivity, eliminating despondency, and helping to restore the trust deficit between the residents and the city. These elements are not in the balance sheet, nor were they mentioned. These elements, however, are the golden thread that runs through the city and gives expression to the budget.

  The ACDP acknowledges the desire to seek alternative funding and partnerships through PPPs. The proposed R7 billion waste-to-energy proposal is turning out to be a mere pipe dream. It reads well on paper, but seemingly unachievable in reality. The idea has been floating around since at least 2012. Millions have been spent thus far with relatively little to show for the sunk cost.

  We challenge you, MMC, to help EISD become decisive in unlocking this technology to deal with waste management crisis facing the city. Madam Deputy Mayor, you alluded to township renewal and uplifting communities. You lovingly referred to people from Limpopo, the Eastern Cape, and the rural areas. Sadly, this budget offers no hope at all to the residents of Region B,

  the smallest yet most neglected region in the city. You forgot in your pathological dislike of white people that Ward 68, 69, and 82, the killing fields of Johannesburg and the largest city-owned slum, form part of this region. There is no hope for these residents in this budget. There is no development in those areas alluded to in this budget.

  The 2,000 promised title deeds will exclude these wards because they are not high-priority areas, despite generations waiting in anticipation for this gesture that will lift many out of poverty. The R409 million allocated to Social Development is wholly inadequate to cater for the aged and their plight. The budget is evidence that the aged can look forward to no more than lip service.

  Madam Speaker, a glaring glossing over in this budget is support for the youth, sports, and creative arts in all its facets. There's a global marketplace waiting to consume what South Africans have to offer. Johannesburg should be facilitating a conveyor belt of artists and sportspeople ready to explore the world. The energy is there, but sadly this budget has not looked beyond the obvious.

  Presenting a multi-billion rand budget will always be a difficult balancing act. Unfortunately, this budget shines the spotlight on the unfair and biased allocation of resources. For the sake of the next five months, the ACDP will note this presentation. Thank you.

• 28 May 2026 · 00:39:17Leave of absence applications · 21 s

  Read what they said (37 words)

  Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good morning to you. Good morning, EM, MMCs, Chairs, all officials. Please excuse Councillor Norman Mkhonza, who is away on private business, and Chris Rohlssen, who is away with sick health. Thank you.

• 26 May 2026 · 00:41:47Request for approval to enter into a loan agreement with KfW · 2 min 10 s

  Read what they said (277 words)

  Good morning, Madam Speaker, once again, Executive Mayor, MMCs, CM, all officials

  Councillor Harris, just hold on. Can I ask for less movement? Thank you, Councillor Harris.

  Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to the request to enter into a loan agreement. Uh, City Power is in crisis. The R4.6 billion allocated to capital projects over 3 years. The Infrastructure Development Grant is a relevant, uh, relative pittance that they receive. The overdraft on the sweeping account is over R16 billion and growing. The entity has to service the nearly 80,000 people streaming into Johannesburg annually. The debt owed to Eskom is R5.2 billion. We are at the end of a 5-year tenure now. This council is being asked to commit to a loan where a portion will attract interest of R616 million. This equates to 30 biannual payments of R44 million. To put this into perspective, the annual maintenance budget for council-owned housing stock is half that amount. In addition, R17.5 million is a once-off upfront cost for entering into this agreement.

  There's no investment in underserviced areas. Resource allocation is questionable. There seems to be no input from the Presidential Working Group and the bomb squad to pressurize national and provincial treasuries to support the city financially. Public-private partnerships that could assist the city financially are trapped in a bureaucratic maze. Instead, hundreds of million are hundreds of millions are given to formalise informal settlements. We at the end of the council's tenure, as the ACDP, we feel it is unfair to commit the next council and the next generations to an agreement that is questionable. We will not be supporting this item. Thank you.

Spoke on

• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:35:12Item 4: City of Johannesburg Informal Settlements Policy
• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:48:52Item 5: Human Settlements Land Assembly Strategy 2025-2040
• 30 Sept 2026 · 05:08:32Item 7: Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Strategy
• 30 Sept 2026 · 05:21:03Item 8: Revised Group Employment Equity Policy Framework
• 30 Sept 2026 · 07:09:50Item 16: Recognition and upgrading of 379 informal settlements
• 30 Sept 2026 · 08:29:49Item 24: Reviewed social burial policy
• 27 Aug 2026 · 00:00:10Quorum check and apologies
• 27 Aug 2026 · 01:02:39Item 34: Employment Equity Policy Framework stopped
• 27 Aug 2026 · 01:05:25Item 35: Academy for Chartered Accountants training policy
• 27 Aug 2026 · 02:05:44Item 29: Irregular expenditure recovery and regularisation (August 2026)
• 27 Aug 2026 · 00:11:24Applications for leave of absence: IFP, ACDP, ActionSA, EFF, AIC
• 26 Aug 2026 · 03:24:47Item 37: Rescission and re-advertisement of Executive Director Human Settlements
• 26 Aug 2026 · 04:54:46Item 38: Vote and recorded dissent
• 26 Aug 2026 · 05:52:15Item 5: CoJ Security Access Restriction by-laws
• 26 Aug 2026 · 06:02:57Item 5: MMC response and agreement
• 26 Aug 2026 · 06:04:11Item 6: GEF grant funding, first round of party speakers
• 26 Aug 2026 · 06:36:11Item 7: Egoli Gas price determination methodology 2026-2031
• 26 Aug 2026 · 06:44:50Item 8: Egoli Gas 2026/27 tariffs
• 26 Aug 2026 · 07:53:24Item 14: Township Economies By-law implementation plan
• 26 Aug 2026 · 08:11:10Items 15 and 16: Region A and Region E economic development plans, ACDP, UDM, FF+ and DA
• 22 Jul 2026 · 05:53:03Items 20-22: party debate on housing and JOSHCO
• 25 Jun 2026 · 02:34:13Item 84: Biogas pilot project budget shortfall transfer to DBSA
• 25 Jun 2026 · 05:39:22Auckland Park motion: vote and recorded dissent
• 25 Jun 2026 · 05:52:17Speaking-time dispute and ACDP on swimming pools and sport
• 25 Jun 2026 · 06:53:50Whippery break to cluster items and agreement on elevated items
• 24 Jun 2026 · 03:31:57Item 68: SDAs and SLAs under Metro Trading Reform – speaking order
• 24 Jun 2026 · 04:47:43Speaking order dispute and ANC speaker begins
• 24 Jun 2026 · 05:00:25Item 70: City Power Trading Reform Strategy – FF+, ACDP, ActionSA
• 24 Jun 2026 · 05:47:45Item 72: Johannesburg Water performance improvement action plan v2
• 24 Jun 2026 · 06:07:23Item 74: Pikitup Performance Improvement Action Plan
• 24 Jun 2026 · 07:31:16Item 85: updated shareholder compacts of City Power, Joburg Water and Pikitup
• 28 May 2026 · 00:36:41Welcome, quorum and applications for leave of absence
• 28 May 2026 · 02:15:40ACDP's Cllr Harris on the budget
• 28 May 2026 · 04:25:45Item 1: Cllr Harris (ACDP)
• 28 May 2026 · 05:52:09Resumption and Item 2: Service Delivery Budget and Implementation Plan
• 26 May 2026 · 00:12:30Applications for leave of absence
• 26 May 2026 · 00:41:27ACDP opposes the KfW loan

Offices held

• MMC for Community Development · 14 December 2021 to 10 October 2022sourceend date approximate
• MMC for Health and Social Development · 25 October 2022 to 8 December 2022sourceacting
• MMC for Community Development · 25 October 2022 to 27 January 2023sourceend date approximate