Tumelo Joseph Madiba

Attendance

Present

65

Leave of absence

0

Absent without leave

0

Arrived late

2

Left early

0

"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

3

Average wait to start

7 s

Average greetings first

0 s

Apology or leave of absence (2)

• 26 Aug 2026 · 00:40:37Arriving late. ANC late arrival. sitting
• 24 Jun 2026 · 00:23:32Arriving late. ANC caucus notified late arrival. sitting

Not ready when called (1)

• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:29:55When called on item 3 he said he could not read his speech and just noted the report. sitting

In their words

Every time the chair gave them the floor in a transcribed sitting (3), 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 · 04:30:10Item 3 Emissions inventory reports · 13 s

  Read what they said (36 words)

  Greetings again, Madam Speaker. Unfortunately, I can't read my speech right now. I have people that I have to assist. So therefore, as the African National Congress, we note the report and support it. Thank you.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:14:36Item 2 Draft Clean Air Zone Policy · 5 min 52 s

  Read what they said (624 words)

  Uh thank you, Madam Speaker, and greetings again. One of the central commitments of the ANC 2026 local government manifesto is to build a safe, clean, healthy, and resilient communities. The manifesto recognizes that local government has a responsibility not only to provide services, but also to create healthy environments in which our people can live, work,

  and raise their families. And that brings us directly to item number two, the Draft Clean Air Zone Policy of the City of Johannesburg. The manifesto also makes a very important commitment: we must make what has already been built work better, more reliably, and more effectively in every ward and for every household.

  That is precisely the spirit in which we must approach this policy. Clean air is not a luxury; clean air is a public health necessity. The city's assessment indicates that Johannesburg currently experiences only about 52% good air quality days, meaning that almost half of the days monitored are classified as poor from an air quality perspective,

  and the burden is not equally distributed. Communities such as Alexandra, Jabavu, Orange Farm, and Diepsloot experience some of the highest frequency and severity of air quality exceedances. That makes this not only an environmental issue,

  but an issue of environmental justice. We cannot build a better Johannesburg while accepting that some of our most vulnerable communities carry a greater burden of pollution. I am raising this consciously knowing that there is a councillor who was instructed to hold a placard claiming to be fighting for the vulnerable,

  so that someone can create social media videos as if they love us. We cannot allow the most vulnerable communities carry a greater burden of being used as actors, actresses, extras in a movie called "Making Joburg Work for Certain Areas" like we saw in Cape Town. The proposed policy therefore takes an evidence-based approach,

  identifying areas according to air quality risk, health, and equity, with red, amber, and green zones requiring different levels of interventions. Madam Speaker, we must also recognize that pollution does not come from one source. The assessment identifies transport, household energy use, waste burning, industry, wind-blown dust,

  and regional pollution amongst the contributing sources. That is why we need a coordinated multisectoral response. And importantly, this policy is not yet final. The city is seeking broader stakeholder engagement, including communities, business, transport operators, labor, civil society, and other stakeholders before the policy is finalized.

  The report states that further engagement is necessary. The ANC caucus welcomes that process because government must listen. Communities must be heard, business must be heard, workers must be heard, transport operators must be heard. But consultation must ultimately lead to implementation. Madam Speaker, this policy also reflects the ANC manifesto commitment to climate-smart

  and resilient municipalities, and to ensuring that municipalities have the capacity to implement measurable commitments. The city has already undertaken legal, technical, and baseline work and has received technical support through the Breathe Cities program. Like I said before, as we enter this election period, let us debate the record honestly. Let us debate policies,

  let us debate the programs, let us debate implementation. The record before us is that Johannesburg has identified a serious environmental problem, gathered evidence, developed a policy framework, and is now taking it to broader stakeholders before finalization. That is the process we should strengthen. Madam Speaker, the ANC caucus therefore supports the recommendations that council note the Draft Clean Air Zone Policy

  and approve broader stakeholder engagement. We support cleaner air, healthier communities, and environmental justice. And we support the principle that every resident of Johannesburg, regardless of where they live, they deserve a safe, clean, and healthy environment. The ANC caucus supports item number two. Thank you, Speaker.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 03:38:13Item 1 C40 accelerators · 7 min 10 s

  Read what they said (770 words)

  Greetings to you, Madam Speaker, greetings to the Executive Mayor, the Deputy Executive Mayor, all MMCs, all Chairs, Chairs of Chairs, the Chief Whip, all councillors, and greetings to the residents of Johannesburg. Madam Speaker, the Urban Planning Accelerator commits the city to better and more sustainable urban development.

  Among the developments are increasing mixed-use development, ensuring new development is better connected to public transport, protecting green spaces, regulating development in high-risk areas, and promoting adequate and affordable housing. These are not theoretical issues.

  When we talk about climate resilience, we are talking about families affected by floods and heat waves. When we talk about spatial planning, we are talking about residents who spend hours traveling between their homes and place of work. When we talk about affordable housing, we are talking about families who need access to well-located communities and economic opportunities. This is why proper planning matters.

  Madam Speaker, the report also makes clear that Johannesburg is not starting from zero. The city already has the Spatial Development Framework, which incorporates climate change and resilience considerations and promotes a more compact, connected city. The city also has an Inclusionary Housing Policy aimed at increasing affordable housing and promoting mixed economic communities.

  The C40 partnership therefore gives us an opportunity to strengthen and accelerate work that is already taking place. But the second accelerator is equally important, which is food security. Food insecurity is one of the most immediate challenges experienced by vulnerable households. The city already has programs including food gardens,

  vegetable distribution, agri-resource centers, agri-parks, urban learning academies, and four food empowerment zones. The city also supports agro-processors with equipment, packaging, market access, and funding linkages.

  The accelerator seeks to build on this work by developing an integrated food system strategy, improving food feeding, modernizing market infrastructure, reducing food waste, strengthening local food businesses, and creating green jobs. Madam Speaker, this is the kind of government intervention that matters. We cannot talk about food security only when a family is already hungry.

  We must also support local food production, community gardens, small farmers, food enterprises, and sustainable livelihoods. That is how we move from simply responding to hunger towards building resilient communities. Madam Speaker, the report also confirms that participation provides Johannesburg with opportunities for technical assistance,

  better financial opportunities, improved data collection, and international recognition for climate action. And importantly, the report states that there are no direct financial implications arising from participation in these accelerators. Therefore, we must ask: Why would we reject an opportunity to strengthen the city's capacity and access international technical support?

  The ANC caucus believes Johannesburg must use every credible opportunity available to improve the lives of residents. However, Madam Speaker, we must also be clear: Signing an accelerator is not service delivery. A signature must become a program, a program must become implemented, and implementation must produce measurable results. The report envisages implementation over a period of up to 10 years

  and provides for community involvement through ward councillors and councillor forums. Therefore, we expect regular reporting, clear targets, and departmental accountability. We must be able to return to our communities and say not only what government promised, but what government delivered. Madam Speaker, as the election approaches,

  there will be attempts to convince residents that government is doing nothing. Our response should not be anger. Our response should be the record. Let us debate the programs, let us debate the policies, let us debate the projects, let us debate the results. We acknowledge that Johannesburg still faces serious challenges. We acknowledge that more must be done. We acknowledge that implementation must be fast

  and accountability must remain strong. But acknowledging challenges does not mean pretending that government is doing nothing. Government is working. It is developing policies, it is implementing programs, it is building partnerships, it is strengthening food security interventions, it is planning for climate resiliency, and through item one, it is seeking to strengthen this work even further.

  Madam Speaker, the ANC caucus therefore supports recommendations before council to note the two accelerators, recognize their benefits, approve Johannesburg's participation, and authorize the Executive Director of EISD, Dr. Tebogo Modiba, to sign the relevant agreement. Our message is clear: We must not run Joburg through political slogans. We must run it through plans, programs,

  implementation, and accountability. Let the record speak. Let the work speak. Let the communities speak. And let us continue to build a Johannesburg that is more inclusive, more resilient, better planned, and more capable of putting food on the table for our people. The ANC caucus supports item number one. I thank you, Speaker.

Spoke on

• 30 Sept 2026 · 03:30:48Item 1: C40 / UN-Habitat Urban Planning Accelerator and Thriving Food Systems Accelerator
• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:02:35Item 2: Draft Clean Air Zone Policy - councillor debate
• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:27:20Item 3: Emissions inventory, dispersion modelling and source apportionment reports