Rickey Kashore Nair

Attendance

Present

64

Leave of absence

0

Absent without leave

1

Arrived late

1

Left early

4

"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

5 s

Average greetings first

0 s

Apology or leave of absence (1)

• 24 Jun 2026 · 00:23:32Arriving late. ANC caucus notified late arrival. 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 · 08:07:12Items 21, 22 and 23: Disaster management policies and plan · 12 min 41 s

  Read what they said (1907 words)

  Greetings, Madam Speaker, greetings to the Executive Mayor, the Deputy Executive Mayor, members of the Mayoral Committee, uh City Manager and his officials, fellow councillors and the residents of the City of Joburg. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak today on the item 21, 22 and 23, the City of Johannesburg disaster management volunteer policy. Purpose to seek council's approval on the disaster management volunteer policy, including

  its establishment under the disaster operations sub-center and inclusion in the institutional review of the disaster management center hierarchy. The City of Johannesburg disaster management volunteer policy is therefore developed to institutionalize volunteerism as a strategic municipal resource, aligned with national legislation and international best practices and to address existing informal operational gaps in volunteer coordination and management. Now, why is this policy important? The city currently

  does not have a formal structure disaster management volunteer system, despite the national government uh national legislation providing for volunteer units. The policy acknowledges gaps such as fragmented volunteer programs, poor coordination, insufficient training, lack of monitoring systems and limited management of spontaneous volunteers. So this policy aims to strengthen the city's ability to respond to disasters such as fires, floods,

  gas explosions, storms, hazardous incidents and the continuous zama-zama threat that is being created. How does this policy benefit the city? The policy benefits the City of Johannesburg in the following ways: Increased disaster preparedness and response capacity across all seven regions, creates a trained pool of volunteers that can be mobilized quickly during emergencies, promotes community participation and active citizenship,

  supports safer communities and aligns with the city's GDS 2040 objectives, provides skills development opportunities and may improve employment for the residents who participate in structured training programs. Now, all well and said and this is beautiful and I think this that is a disaster program is needed in the city and a volunteer program is needed in the city, because the question I pose to every one of us is what happens tomorrow, God forbid, that we do have a natural disaster

  or unnatural disaster, but a massive disaster? The City of Johannesburg and especially the wards that run along the Main Reef, we're all sitting on mines, so we have a gap underneath us which at any one time due to the illegal mining that's going on, we could have explosions. I just want to notify the council that two weeks ago we had a gas explosion in Fordsburg. It wasn't massive, but it was a gas explosion that uh the emergency services and even the chief himself came out.

  So the definite concern and these things could happen. So yes, we need the volunteers and this should have been done a long time ago, but never late uh better late than never. The question here and I know lots of times I think we've been accused as ANC councillors that we just rubber-stamp decisions, that we are just to vote. Well, unfortunately today I'm going to be different. Madam Speaker, the big, big concern, we're in a city where we have financial,

  a big financial problem. How then can they send a report to us which says no financial implications? The report and its annexure does not provide any information about operational costs, budgeting as well as resourcing. That's the one big thing. The second thing is implementation, implementation and enforcement. You know we bring great policies, our bylaws are great, but how much of implementation of our bylaws do we have? Because if

  our bylaws are being implemented and enforced, we won't have the situation we have, especially in the inner city wards and sad, Madam Speaker, I don't know when last you've been to Ward 58. Yoh, I've been begging and begging and I'm getting no response, but Ward 58 is on total downgrade and it all comes down to lack of bylaw enforcement, lack of law and order in my ward. With that said, Madam Speaker, I want to go onto item 22: Recommendations for the approval of the City of Johannesburg Disaster Management

  Policy Framework. The report acknowledges that the city has historically focused mainly on responding after disasters occur. The policy seeks to change this by prioritizing prevention, mitigation, preparedness, early warning systems and resilient infrastructure. This is particularly important, because the city faces increasing risks linked to rapid urbanization, climate change, aging infrastructure, vandalism and socio-economic inequality. Illegal mining

  has become another major, major risk. Identified risks including flash floods, fires, infrastructure collapse, heatwaves, illegal electricity connections, disaster outbreaks, water insecurity and sinkholes. From the 2027/2028 financial year, departments and entities must incorporate disaster management action plan indicators into their SDBIPs and business plans. They will be expected to conduct disaster risk assessments,

  identify map risks in vulnerable communities, develop disaster risk reduction plans, prepare funded contingency plans, develop emergency response, recovery and business continuity plans, appoint a disaster management focal person, submit disaster-related information to the disaster management center. The council reports none under financial implications. However, the same report recommends that the city budget for a disaster management fund in line with

  the 0.5% threshold applicable to metropolitan municipalities. This, Madam Speaker, is the big, big concern. We're bringing policies through and stating that there is no financial implication, but we all know nothing in this world happens without money, so we have to have money to fund these policies. The annexure also states that implementation will require substantial startup and operational resources, including disaster management centers and sub-centers, specialized and

  technical personnel, early warning and communication systems, risk assessments and GIS mapping, training stimulation and public awareness programs, funded contingency plans, emergency response, relief, recovery and rehabilitation. Madam Speaker, these are the risks that we face and once again I need to reiterate the importance of having finances for the policy. Item 23: Review of the 2024 disaster management

  level one plan. Reports request the approval of four matters: Approve the reviewed level one disaster management plan, support the further capacitation of the disaster management center, endorse a regional governance model covering all seven administrative regions, endorse a three sub-center structure comprising disaster operations, communication and training functions. According to the report, the city is not yet fully compliant with the functionality requirements.

  National Treasury functional standard FD 2.1 requires an appointed head of the disaster management center, an updated disaster management plan, submission of an annual report or plan to the national disaster management center. The report states that the city currently complies with only two of the three requirements, namely the updated plan and annual submissions. The outstanding concern is the formal appointment of the head of the center. Councillors

  should request a clear deadline and process for achieving these compliance. Madam Speaker, while I'm on that point, you know, I'm a councillor who's coming on the first term and I was amazed with emergency services and uh our security cluster that we've had so many acting positions. Now, my point is we want to introduce a new policy. We need to have a person to head this policy and the person uh I believe it's Miss Vicky Mayatela is still in an acting position. So when are we going

  to give honor our leaders that have been there and I think they're doing a fairly good job under a lot of stress and pressure? When are we going to give them the chance to be permanent so that they can leave their footprint on the department? When we have acting positions, people are just there. They're afraid sometimes to take decisions or they will just pull that six months as a acting position and not really get things done. So we need these positions, especially that is Public Safety and is one of the most important aspects of a person's life, that we should take this

  seriously and we should firstly sort out these positions before we even think of going down the road with these uh new policies. The current structure was approved in 2015 is described as no longer suitable for the city's increasing vulnerabilities and more complex disaster risk environment. The attached annexure identifies unclear reporting lines, fragmented coordination, inadequate strategic oversight and insufficient institutional capacity. According to the annexure provided, a reverse structure requiring approximately

  23 additional posts, including an executive head, additional directors, deputy directors, disaster management officers, GIS capacity and administrative support. However, the main report states there are no financial implications. The annexure states itself that implementation requires operational and capital resources and that disaster risk management must be incorporated into a department and entity budgets. Once again, I reiterate,

  the biggest, biggest concern here is that they have not given us any finances on how is this going to be implemented. Madam Speaker, I want to round up. I know it's late and everybody wants to go, but I need to address one issue and the issue of another disaster that I believe inner city wards, could be happening elsewhere, but most inner city wards is facing is that if we have extraordinary rain, and I'm going to speak for my ward, if I have heavy rain for a week, lots of suburbs in my ward will be underwater, will be flooded,

  and the same goes for other inner city and wards that are bordering the inner city. Madam Speaker, I want to appeal to you and the Mayoral Committee that some pressure be put on JRA to engage the MMC for JRA that some work be done, especially in Ward 58. Ward 58 has been so neglected when it comes to the roads, the drains, the sewage and the stormwater system and we are sitting in a disaster and I have to make this public statement that in the event, God forbid, it happens,

  the residents of Ward 58 will know that I have spoken to every to the highest authorities in the city about the drain situation in Ward 58. With that said, Madam Speaker, I think we as the ANC we're going to abstain on this one. This report needs to go back to uh Emergency Services, to Public Safety and they need to come up with an intense report and the most important thing is can we as a city afford it, as much as I want to say this and I've been involved in civic uh

  special safety for long, long years that we need a policy like this. I want to give some advice to the department as I finish off. Most community policing forum structures that are implemented in most police stations in the country are effective and work well. Those volunteers are ready for your training. So before you look at long policies, what I would advise the executive head of this department is start getting involved with your community policing forums. I am a former chair of the Brixton Policing Forum and while I was there, my patrollers

  were trained in firefighting, they were trained in uh traffic duty, they were trained in traffic control, a lot of them did level one and two of first aid. So the EMS can take a suggestion from me is that if we want to start anything without minimal cost is to get involved with this community policing forums and enhance those structures. With that said, Madam Speaker, I thank you and thank everyone for listening to me. Thank you. Bye, salaam.

• 22 Jul 2026 · 07:13:1525 and 26 · 2 min 45 s

  Read what they said (544 words)

  Greetings, Madam Speaker, the Executive Mayor, members of the Mayoral Committee, uh all councillors in in the gallery, residents in the gallery, residents of the City of Joburg, I greet you with the universal greeting of peace be upon you. Madam Speaker, I'm not going to stand here and and politic and campaign. It seems like today's council there's a lot of campaigning going on, but we are entering the silly season. I want to talk on public safety, Madam Speaker. The most important department in the City of Joburg

  is Public Safety. Currently, a lot of our challenges that we are facing all comes down to the lack of law and order in the city. And I want to take this opportunity to compliment our Executive Mayor, who's taken upon himself to bring back law and order in the inner city. And Mr. Mayor, do not stop there. We are encouraging you, come to our wards. I know you've been in my ward, but I would love you to come back and and do what you are doing in the city and let we send us a clear message to all residents of of the uh City of Joburg that

  we need to obey the laws that we live under. Lawlessness in the city has has led to many, many, many issues and challenges in the city. The little things like cable theft, which we consider little, uh little, but could and cost the city millions and millions of rands. The hijacking of buildings, the the the car washer on the street who destroys a tap just to ascertain some water, the illegal operation of uh workshops on the pavements, all of this leads to the degradation of the city. And if we bring the city under law and order,

  everything else will fall in place. Madam Speaker, we know we've been through the March and March issues and the protests that have gone on. There are lots of councillors didn't even experience this, but some of us councillors do have large number of foreign nationals in our wards, so we were at the front of the fight. Sadly, I want to say that our MMC for Public Safety is not in the house. I wish he was here, because I want to appeal him appeal to him to lead the city when it comes to public safety. It is not the responsibility of the Executive Mayor,

  it's basically his and he's got to take this and run with it. We got to bring back law and order in the city. And and and when when we are being led by organizations and we reacting to organizations like March to March, you know, we are not leading the city. Madam Speaker, we should lead. We are elected to lead. So let the let JMPD and the Public Safety departments continue doing the work, do not wait to be reactive, but let's be proactive in bringing the issues of illegal immigration, illegal buildings,

  uh and all the illegality in the city, we need to bring it under control. With that said, Madam Speaker, I know people are tired or moeg. Uh I want to say the ANC accepts uh this report. I thank you.

Spoke on

• 30 Sept 2026 · 08:07:02Items 21-23: Cllr Nair (ANC) on the disaster management items
• 22 Jul 2026 · 06:55:29Items 25-26: Public Safety performance