Sebenzile Kentina Laura Mabuza

Attendance

Present

62

Leave of absence

1

Absent without leave

1

Arrived late

0

Left early

1

Reasons given for leave: 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

0

Times given the floor

1

Average wait to start

12 s

Average greetings first

0 s

Apology or leave of absence (1)

• 25 Jun 2026 · 00:50:42Ill health. ANC caucus apology for ill health. sitting

In their words

Every time the chair gave them the floor in a transcribed sitting (1), 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.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 07:59:1514 · 7 min 25 s

  Read what they said (833 words)

  Greetings, uh Madam Speaker, Executive Mayor, members of the Mayoral Committee, fellow councillors, and uh the residents of Johannesburg. I rise to speak on Item 14, uh dealing uh with the implementation plan for the Township Economic By-law. Madam Speaker, township economies are not a marginal part of Johannesburg's economy. They are part of the economic life of our city across Johannesburg.

  Small traders, informal businesses, home-based enterprises, spaza shops, service providers, and emerging entrepreneurs provide livelihoods and services to communities every day. For many residents,

  And so township enterprise is not simply a business opportunity. It is a means of survival. It is employment. It is household income. It is community economic activity. We therefore welcome the implementation plan and the city's effort to create a more coordinated framework for township economy development.

  The report seeks to formalize business, support informal traders, improve compliance, strengthen coordination and create mechanism for business empowerment and monitoring. These are positive objectives. Madam Speaker, however, Madam Speaker, the success of this by-laws will depend on how it is implemented.

  Our message is that regulation and development must work together. A trader must understand what the law requires. The city must make compliance accessible and where the entrepreneur is willing to comply, the municipality should make the process as practical and as efficient as possible.

  We therefore welcome the proposed coordination between Economic Development and departments such as your JMPD, Finance, ICT, JDA, JPC and City Power, Johannesburg Water and Pikitup. But coordination must produce results. We should not have a situation where an entrepreneur receive a message from Economic Development, another from Finance and another from enforcement agencies.

  The city should provide single coordinated experience for township business. Madam Speaker, we recommend simplifying compliance journey. A trader should be able to understand what permit is required, where do I apply, what documents do I need, how much does it cost, how long will it take, what happens if my application is unsuccessful and how do I appeal.

  Digital registration can assist with this, particularly when combined with physical support for entrepreneurs who may not have reliable digital access. The city should also invest in trader education. Compliance becomes so much easier when people understand the rules.

  Enforcement remains important. We are not arguing against enforcement. A developmental municipality must protect consumers, maintain public space and ensure that business complies with applicable laws. But enforcement should be consistent and proportionate. Where a business is capable of becoming compliant, the city should prioritize bringing that business into the formal economy.

  This is how we expand the tax base, improve business sustainability and protect livelihoods. The implementation plan should therefore measure not only enforcement action, but also business brought into compliance. We recommend quarterly reports on, reporting on business formalized, permit issues, SMME supported, job created, enforcement actions,

  appeals resolved, permit turnaround times, trader satisfaction and access to market and procurement. These indicators would allow council to determine whether the by-law is achieving its developmental purpose. Madam Speaker, township business also need infrastructure.

  A trader cannot operate effectively without appropriate trading space. They need waste collection, they need electricity, they need safety, they need access to customers, they also need storage and they need access to finance and markets. This means the township economy by-law must not be implemented by Economic Development alone. It must become the whole of a city program.

  Procurement is another important opportunity. The city itself is a major purchaser of goods and services. We should therefore look at how compliant township business can participate more meaningfully in municipal procurement and supply chain. This would allow the city to become not only a regulator of township business, but also facilitator of economic opportunities.

  The same applies to access for finance. Many small businesses struggle not because they lack entrepreneurial ability, but because they lack affordable finance, financial literacy and business development support. The city should therefore strengthen partnership with development finance institutions, financial institutions and other stakeholders.

  Madam Speaker, the implementation plan gives us a foundation. Our responsibility now is to ensure that it becomes visible in communities. The incoming Economic Development Committee should receive regular implementation reports, should be able to identify where progress is taking place and where additional intervention is required.

  The message should be straightforward: Regulate fairly, enforce consistently, support aggressively. This is how the township economy becomes a engine of inclusive growth. Madam Speaker, we support item 14 by the implementation of the township economy by-law, but we recommend that implementation be judged by the outcome rather than the activity.

  How many businesses survived, how many expanded, how many jobs were created, how many entrepreneurs entered the formal economy, how many gained access to markets? These are the measures that will tell us whether the policy is working or not. Let us ensure that township entrepreneurs experience government not only through regulation,

  but through opportunity, support and partnership. That is a developmental economy we should be building. I thank you.

Spoke on

• 26 Aug 2026 · 07:53:24Item 14: Township Economies By-law implementation plan