Lerato Magdeline Philiya Mphefo

Attendance

Present

52

Leave of absence

11

Absent without leave

1

Arrived late

0

Left early

1

Reasons given for leave: Private business (5), Ill health (4), Other (1), Party business (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

2

Average wait to start

9 s

Average greetings first

4 s

Apology or leave of absence (5)

• 27 Aug 2026 · 00:04:44Ill health. Listed as ill. sitting
• 27 Aug 2026 · 00:09:05Ill health. DA leave of absence for health issues. sitting
• 26 Aug 2026 · 00:41:43Ill health. DA apology for ill health. sitting
• 28 May 2026 · 00:39:42Ill health. DA apology for ill health. sitting
• 26 May 2026 · 00:14:14Ill health. Leave of absence tabled by a DA whip. sitting

Warned or stopped by the chair (1)

• 22 Jul 2026 · 03:38:01Chair asked Cllr Mphefo to switch off the microphone during Cllr Munyayi's speech. sitting

In their words

Every time the chair gave them the floor in a transcribed sitting (2), 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 · 02:51:21Item 9: Petitions Policy review · 7 min 30 s

  Read what they said (949 words)

  Yes, Speaker. Apologies, I was still unmuting myself. Am I audible?

  Yeah, you are audible now.

  Thank you so much, Speaker. Good morning to you, Speaker, and good morning to, oh, it's afternoon already. Good afternoon, Speaker, and good afternoon to my fellow colleagues. The DA is not in support of this item for various reasons. Speaker, I would like to bring it to the attention of this council that this policy was not presented in the Petitions Committee and does not

  include the work of the councillors. The big question here, Speaker, is who drafted this policy and who were they drafting it for? Speaker, if you look at this policy, in the earlier pages there, where it speaks about the submission, it still lists Metro Centre, and we do not

  have Metro Centre anymore, Speaker. This policy, it is not clear as to whether the e-petitions portal replaces the earlier methods of submission or whether it is part and parcel of. And also, Speaker, the previous methods are still contained in this policy where it states that one can submit at any of the COEs, it can

  submit at any of the regional offices in a box. I know for a fact that my region, Region A, does not contain such a box. And I think the biggest discrepancy is of the Metro Centre. What is more concerning about this policy, Speaker, is that when you look at point 6, and this was a submission that was made by the councillors when we met in 2024 before this document went for public participation to

  the various regions to be presented to the residents of the regions. Point 6, it speaks on the powers and functions of the committee. And this policy does not promote and protect service delivery and rights of the residents, Speaker. It does not empower the councillors in the committee in doing oversight over the work done by officials in relevant departments, as well as Petitions Unit, the

  administrators. It is very clear on how to proceed in dealings or holding MMC accountable by referring to Ethics within or after the 30-day period of no response, but it is very silent in what must happen when those responsible for the actual work are not performing. Question: How many times have we requested reports from officials in some departments,

  Speaker, and to date we have not received those reports? My colleagues in this committee will agree with me that we've asked for some reports from the officials, which for some it would take three months, it takes more than six months, and some of them forever. We're ending the term and some reports are still not received, and it does not give any direction, indication,

  any powers of how to hold those officials accountable. And this is what has been contributing mostly to the delay or the backlog of the petitions. But yet, it is quick to punish the MMC, who is a councillor, someone that is also responsible for doing oversight. So it removes the responsibility

  from the Petitions Unit and also the officials in the various departments, but yet it puts it on the MMC. So the MMC must do the work of the officials and also do the oversight over it as well. There is no separation of power and this does not assist us with that. And also, Speaker, there's a point of sitting of the committee that is removed

  altogether from this policy, which was not in agreement with the committee. But in any case, Speaker, this was not read in the Petitions Unit. I know the Chairperson might jump to the conclusion that in the previous extraordinary, in the last extraordinary meeting of the Petitions Committee meeting, Section 79 Petitions Committee meeting,

  I was not present, Chairperson, because I was on sick leave in August. But I have spoken to the unit's coordinator, I've spoken to the unit's legal, I have spoken to my colleagues who were also present in the meeting. And this is not to get anyone that I've mentioned in trouble, I was just checking the facts before I bring this to council and I advise that

  we reject this policy. On the day of that meeting, Chairperson, of my absence, they only went through the end of term with the researcher, something that was supposed to happen in the last meeting where I was present, but the researcher was absent and it could not be presented by the researcher. So it was read by the researcher, the other document was just sneaked in and it was just noted without

  inviting the comments from the councillors. Speaker, I've noted a lot of discrepancies with this policy, but I will not waste anyone's time. I would just like to repeat again, reiterate that we reject this as the DA for those reasons that I've stated. And also, it's not a panic, those that are coming in, in any case, because I know the majority may go with it. Those that are coming in the next term,

  point 16, the review, 16.2, the Speaker of the Council in consultation with the Petitions Standing Committee can initiate the review process. And I would suggest that that happens in the beginning of the term, when the councillors come back into term. This policy states that it should be reviewed in the 2030s.

  30 seconds, Councillor.

  It should not be the case, and it also says on the policy that it was in council in August, which now goes to the question of why is it back in council if it was in council now in August? I thank you, Speaker.

• 22 Jul 2026 · 08:08:4938 · 7 min 9 s

  Read what they said (956 words)

  Thank you, thank you Speaker. I wouldn't be surprised Speaker, I'm one of those um... They don't wish to listen to me, that's why they even threaten me in uh petitions, and nothing is even being done about that. Greetings Speaker, greetings to the DA Caucus leader, our Deputy and Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance, uh DA colleagues, the MMCs and chairpersons,

  members in charge, um in waiting, who the residents are waiting for. Speaker, I rise to speak on the last and least item on this agenda, and I say least uh because this is the, once again, this is the committee that is most ignored, neglected. The committee that provides evidence to lack of service delivery in the City of Johannesburg

  uh and the frustrations of the residents of the city. I speak on item 38, the third quarter report on the oversight activities of the Petitions Standing Committee for the period January to March uh 2026. Speaker, Petitions Section 79 Oversight Committee definitely is not exercising the powers and responsibilities afforded and given to it

  according to the Municipal Structures Act of 1998. For one Speaker, there is no separation of powers. The entity um that, the officials of different entities, the petitions unit, the chairperson, um everyone that attends this committee Speaker seems to just be one unit. There is no distinction in the responsibilities

  and the roles, and hence there is no proper oversight that is conducted um in this committee. Uh two, the fight of submission of reports uh still continues. If the reports are not submitted on time, they are not submitted at all. When they are submitted, these um reports, they

  are removed from the progress report uh without any resolve, no accountability from the committee, um the committee unit, the officials in the different entities, no action or mention from the assistant director or the chairperson of the committee. Number two, the backlog we started with, Speaker, is not moving, instead, it's getting wider and it's getting bigger.

  Uh for example, um the other colleague that spoke before me uh mentioned that in the period of January to March, um in this quarter report, we only had just one committee meeting in three months. And how do we expect really to have this backlog um realistically, you know, dealt with? Um another point Speaker is that um the people, um we have people who are not fit for purpose.

  Cadres appointed in high positions, and this is very frustrating to those qualified, experienced and capable. And when we try to do our work Speaker, we are threatened. Uh Speaker, some of us we take our work serious, we plan for these section 79 committee meetings, we read our reports, we write our own emails, we interrogate these reports, we ask relevant questions,

  and we try to hold those responsible accountable, just as any councillor should, but it seems like it's only just the DA way. I mean, you listen to people making their speeches, people not sticking to their items, you know, um just picking on their colleagues and rather gunning for their colleagues and making jokes all the time. Um Speaker, um I have mentioned this before,

  and when I speak about the reports that are missing, I also spoke about Helen Joseph Hostel and the issues around uh Helen Joseph Hostel, an employee who was there, uh who was asked to come to the committee to account, a Zanele that just disappeared, a 27 million that just also disappeared, and this report seems to also have disappeared. Even MMC Masuku admitted in this council that yes, it is a hot potato.

  And every MMC that actually um said they would assist with these issues, it seems to just have disappeared. No one is doing anything about any of these things. Um Speaker, um we work under really difficult circumstances and the other colleagues who are not really pulling their weight, they make all of us look bad because we are all representatives, you know, um councillors in the City of Joburg,

  and they make us all look bad. And I've also asked for your assistance as well in this um committee, and we've also reported as well when I was threatened and nothing has ever been said about it, no follow-ups. So, um it means some of us, you know, when we do read our reports and try to do what is right and point out the right things, you know, um we are threatened and nothing is being done about it. So it means that we can't really do

  our work. Um Speaker, um we do note this report, uh but we are sounding like broken records. There's nothing that I've said now that I have not said before. And hence, you know, as the Democratic Alliance, we are looking forward to 4 November when the residents will be voting for the Democratic Alliance, so we can have Helen Zille and our colleagues here assist us, you know, and assist the residents of the City of Johannesburg.

  Um we have other uh people who are here, delusional, uh people who don't even have wards. They have not even shown the residents how to manage a ward, but yet they wish to manage a city. Others been here 30 years, they don't even have clean audits. And this is why every resident out there should vote for a party that has experience, a party that's produced clean audits,

  and then a party that cares about them. And we look forward to having Helen Zille so we can change the city and give hope to the residents.

  You have 50 seconds.

  Uh thank you Speaker.

Spoke on

• 30 Sept 2026 · 02:49:18Item 9: Review of the Petitions Policy
• 22 Jul 2026 · 08:02:03Item 38: Petitions Standing Committee Q3 report