{"sitting_id":"2026-06-25-ordinary-38-day2","date":"2026-06-25","title":"38th Ordinary Council Meeting, Day 2","page_url":"https://said-in-council.co.za/sittings/2026-06-25-ordinary-38-day2/","ai":"AI draft transcript (google/gemini-4-argon) of the City's livestream, not checked line by line. Check a line against the video before quoting it.","licence":"CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) for this transcript; the video remains the City's.","timeline":"start and end are seconds on the sitting-day timeline: the videos below laid end to end in order. video is the YouTube id the line is in; lang is set when the line was not English.","videos":[{"id":"3u_bb_z-xh4","duration":8181,"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u_bb_z-xh4"},{"id":"cq27XSi2e-w","duration":24043,"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq27XSi2e-w"}],"segments":[{"start":155,"end":185,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Good morning, councillors. Good morning, councillors. Ladies and gentlemen in the gallery. May you all please rise for the speaker of council, Councillor Margaret Arnolds."},{"start":185,"end":219,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Good morning, councillors. Good morning, councillors. Can we have a moment of silence for meditation or prayer."},{"start":219,"end":282,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"You may be seated. Greetings in the name of Bafana Bafana."},{"start":282,"end":298,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Points of orders will be like this today."},{"start":298,"end":300,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, STC."},{"start":300,"end":330,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Good morning, everyone. It is here, it is hereby notified that the continuation of the 38th Ordinary Meeting of the City of Johannesburg Municipality will be held on Thursday, the 25th of June 2026 at 10:00 AM at the Constance Connie Bapela Council Chamber Metropolitan Centre in Braamfontein. And the first item on the agenda is opening."},{"start":330,"end":363,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Good morning, councillors. Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Sello Morero. Deputy Executive Mayor, Councillor Apologies, colleagues."},{"start":363,"end":397,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay, okay. Let's start over. Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Sello Morero, in absentia, Deputy Executive Mayor, Councillor Loyiso Masuku, Whip of Council, Councillor Kazamula Chauke, Chair of Chairs, Councillor Vavhane Marema, all political party leaders and whips, members of the Mayoral Committee, chairpersons of Section 79."},{"start":397,"end":424,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Fellow councillors, City Manager, Dr. Floyd Brink, Secretary to Council, Mr. Andile Gobinca, officials of the City of Johannesburg, residents of the City of Johannesburg, members of the media present. Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the continuation of the 38th Ordinary Council Meeting of the City of Johannesburg."},{"start":424,"end":456,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillors, we also want to congratulate Bafana Bafana in winning last night. We have also received a request of a debate on a matter of urgent public importance from Councillor Magwentshu. However, such does not comply with the Rule 98(1) of the Standing Rules and Order of Council."},{"start":456,"end":486,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"At this point, councillors, I will allow 10 minutes for the number of councillors present in the chamber to be counted, and verification of the number of councillors who have signed the register so as to confirm our quorum. I thank you. If you are in the chamber, can you be seated so that we count you. If you have not signed, then can you go outside to sign. But I assume we all signed that's inside."},{"start":486,"end":1292,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, councillors. We'll come back at 10:16. It's 10:06, we'll come back at 10:16."},{"start":1292,"end":1322,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, colleagues. Can we be seated so that we can hear the outcome of the numbers."},{"start":1322,"end":1352,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, we have 115 on the register. And only 73 of you has been counted inside. So we are going to take the 20 minutes. Some people are shaking their heads. I hope they know that I've seen them shaking their heads."},{"start":1352,"end":1800,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay, so we're going to take the 20 minutes. It's 10:20 now. We'll come back at 10:40. Thank you. Thank you, councillors."},{"start":2625,"end":2649,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, please can we be seated. They starting to count us."},{"start":2649,"end":2706,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Yo!"},{"start":2706,"end":2715,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Somebody has lost their pin."},{"start":2715,"end":2721,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"It's a female councillor."},{"start":2721,"end":2728,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"No, no, no. You had another one, Councillor Sifumba. I know yours."},{"start":2728,"end":2732,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"I know yours."},{"start":2732,"end":2871,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Sifumba, come fetch it."},{"start":2871,"end":2884,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, colleagues. Will now be seated."},{"start":2884,"end":2893,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, we do have a quorum. Those that have signed is 164."},{"start":2893,"end":2913,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"But we have 151 inside, meaning that people are still roaming outside. And also we have leave of absence, so we'll check on that. Thank you so much. So we can start our business of the day. STC?"},{"start":2913,"end":2917,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"We proceed now with applications for leave of absence."},{"start":2917,"end":2947,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillors, the leave of absence that we have received is Councillor M. Cook, party business. Councillor Y. Zigebe, late arrival. Councillor M. Mokwena, private business. Councillor Z. May, family responsibility. Councillor J. Kaldine, ill health. Councillor J. Karolia, ill health."},{"start":2947,"end":2971,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"MMC Sekwaila, ill health. Councillor T. Mhlongo, private business. Councillor F. Abdool, a late arrival. Is there any leave of absence from the floor? Councillor Simonse, Councillor"},{"start":2971,"end":2986,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Chair Ndlela. Councillor Makhuba. Councillor"},{"start":2986,"end":2992,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Mokome."},{"start":2992,"end":3007,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mogapi. Who is hiding his face? Councillor Magwentshu. And then Councillor"},{"start":3007,"end":3013,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Munyayi and then Councillor Masera."},{"start":3013,"end":3020,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"In that fashion. I have got a Bafana fever so I forgot you all."},{"start":3020,"end":3023,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Can we start with the first one?"},{"start":3023,"end":3037,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Good morning, Madam Speaker. Ill health is Councillor Gwen Ponsonby, Councillor Denise Wilskut. Late arrivals will be Councillor Marilyn Smouse and early departure will be myself and MMC Kenny Kunene. Thank you."},{"start":3037,"end":3042,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much."},{"start":3042,"end":3077,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Good morning, Speaker. ANC caucus ill health is Councillor Maake, Councillor Mngadi, Councillor Mazibukwana, Councillor Ndzondo, Councillor Zondo, Councillor Tshehlo, Councillor Mabuza, Councillor Ndou, Councillor Makamo, Councillor Mmota. Family responsibility is Councillor Kwapeng. Running late is Councillor Raphadu, Councillor Tsotetsi, Councillor Mazibuko, MMC Zungu, Councillor Ngema, Councillor Simelane. Oh, Councillor Simelane has arrived."},{"start":3077,"end":3096,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"To leave early if we are not done by 18 hours, MMC Masuku, Councillor Mashinini at 14 hours. Councillor Lebea, Councillor Mofokeng and Councillor Chauke they are asking to leave at 12:00. Thank you."},{"start":3096,"end":3100,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Next councillor."},{"start":3100,"end":3110,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Good morning, Speaker. For the IFP, it's Councillor Nyembe, ill health. Councillor Khanyile out of the province. Thank you."},{"start":3110,"end":3113,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Mokome?"},{"start":3113,"end":3120,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Early departure by 17 hours if we are not done by then. Thank you."},{"start":3120,"end":3124,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor."},{"start":3124,"end":3149,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. From the EFF caucus, party business it's Councillor Khonkhobe, MMC Koma. Ill health it's Councillor Makhafola, Councillor Molala, Councillor Ntoele, Councillor Nhlapo, Councillor Molefe. Late arrival it's Councillor Mabidilala, Councillor Nenemba. Early departure it's Councillor Mogapi at 2:00. Thank you."},{"start":3149,"end":3158,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Next councillor."},{"start":3158,"end":3170,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, Councillor Gwamanda will be running late. Thank you. Is he here? Oh, he has arrived. Okay, thank you."},{"start":3170,"end":3182,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"I think he's sitting late and not running late now. Councillor Munyayi?"},{"start":3182,"end":3208,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thanks, Madam Speaker. From ActionSA, family responsibility, Councillor Mashala, Councillor Kamogelo Mohlala, Councillor Tsoadi, Councillor Moshapo, Councillor Moatshe, Councillor Mabelebele, Councillor Shai. Party business, Councillor Jabu Mabunda, Councillor Themba Mabunda, Councillor Lebo Mokoka, Councillor Mkhonto, Councillor Zakes Lebatlang, Councillor Sondag."},{"start":3208,"end":3240,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Sick leave, Councillor Lwanda Bini, Councillor Lebohang Modukanene. Early departures, Councillor Ntombela 14:30, Councillor Edward 14:30, Councillor Rakosa 17:00, Councillor Shumba 14:00, Councillor Prof 16:00. Oh, Prof Van Wyk, yes. Late arrival, Councillor Nkomo. Thank you, Madam Speaker."},{"start":3240,"end":3244,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Masera."},{"start":3244,"end":3276,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. I've got the following LOAs for DA councillors. Councillor Mark Van Der Merwe is in court today. Councillor Mohamed, ill health. Councillor Finn, ill health. Councillor Roberts, ill health. Councillor Moloisane, family bereavement. Councillor Koekemoer, ill health. Councillor Campbell-Cloete, ill health. Councillor Chabalala, ill health. And the following councillors will leave early if we're not finished. Councillor Nkomo at 2:00."},{"start":3276,"end":3310,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"I've got another ill health by Councillor Sekhu. Councillor Da Rocha will leave at 4:00. Councillor Shawe will leave at 2:00. Councillor Steenkamp will leave at 5:00. Councillor Kgeletsane will also leave at 5:00. Councillor Santana at 4:00. Councillor Goosen at 4:00. And the following three councillors will leave at 4:00 for religious reasons, which is Councillor Christians, Councillor Chame, and Councillor Landis. Thank you so much."},{"start":3310,"end":3327,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay, we have another late arrival. MMC Thapelo, Amad Thapelo will be arriving late. Councillor Mpolobosho?"},{"start":3327,"end":3334,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Then early departure, Speaker, I ask to leave around 15 hours. Thank you very much."},{"start":3334,"end":3338,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Councillor Ndlela?"},{"start":3338,"end":3345,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I forgot MMC Mgcina who is out of the country. Thank you."},{"start":3345,"end":3349,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Councillor Simonse?"},{"start":3349,"end":3358,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, just correction. Councillor May is in chambers today. And Councillor Ismail, early departure at 3:30. Thank you."},{"start":3358,"end":3369,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillor May, are you hiding? Yes, Councillor. Yes, it's you, Mogapi."},{"start":3369,"end":3381,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Apology, Speaker. I forgot two councillors. It's Councillor Seerane, party business, and Councillor Moepi, ill health."},{"start":3381,"end":3393,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Thank you. Any more brainwaves on leave of absence? No other brainwaves. Thank you. Are all these apologies noted?"},{"start":3393,"end":3394,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Yes."},{"start":3394,"end":3397,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much."},{"start":3397,"end":3403,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"We proceed to recommendations to Council."},{"start":3403,"end":3406,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Deputy Executive Mayor?"},{"start":3406,"end":3424,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much. Good morning to you, Madam Speaker, Whip of Council, Chair of Chairs, MMCs as well as all leaders of various caucuses. I hereby table recommendations to Council on behalf of the Executive. Thank you, ma'am."},{"start":3424,"end":3431,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. Chair of Chairs?"},{"start":3431,"end":3456,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, Honourable Speaker, Deputy Executive Mayor, MMC Finance, MMC Transport, MMC Human Settlement, chairpersons of portfolio committee, councillors at large, I rise to table the Legislature's report. Thank you."},{"start":3456,"end":3462,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. Acting Mayor?"},{"start":3462,"end":3489,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. If you could kindly indulge us, from the Executive we would like to elevate item 63, 65, 84, 90, and 91. 63, 65, 84, 90, and 91. Thank you, ma'am."},{"start":3489,"end":3495,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, ma'am. Chair of Chairs?"},{"start":3495,"end":3550,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much once again, Honourable Speaker. Riding on the very same protocol established, I would like through your indulgence to elevate the following Legislature reports: 86, 87, 88, and the motion that is there. Thank you very much."},{"start":3550,"end":3585,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay, before I allow you, Councillor, can I just clarify what they have asked for. Executive: item 63, 65, 84, 90, and 91. The Legislature: 86, 87, 88, and the motion. Yeah. So we got it right, ne? Okay, Councillor Avant-Smith."},{"start":3585,"end":3600,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. And well done, Bafana Bafana. That was amazing. Yay. Proudly South African today. May the DA caucus request a 15-minute"},{"start":3600,"end":3603,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"minutes caucus break please."},{"start":3603,"end":3615,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay, I've seen the hand. Always. Thank you so much, Councillor Avant-Smith. I've seen the hand of the Acting Mayor. Acting Mayor, I haven't said that we can go."},{"start":3615,"end":3618,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"What is Acting Mayor? It's yours."},{"start":3618,"end":3634,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Speaker. My sincere apologies. Um and and perhaps it's I would like to request that because it's a compliance reports, um the Section 71 reports, if you could please also elevate them."},{"start":3634,"end":3640,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"79, 80, and 81."},{"start":3640,"end":3651,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay, so it's 63, 65, 84, 90, 91, 79, 80, and 81. That will obviously go in the numerical order."},{"start":3651,"end":3667,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay, um, DA caucus, you are granted 15 minutes and I will say again, could we then all caucus in the 15 minutes? I thank you."},{"start":3667,"end":3673,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Yes, I have acceded to it. Thank you. We'll come back at"},{"start":4582,"end":4585,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"is gone."},{"start":4585,"end":4593,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"I think you have crossed."},{"start":4593,"end":4600,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"STC. Oh, can the DA report back to us?"},{"start":4600,"end":4604,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. We can go ahead. Thank you very much."},{"start":4604,"end":4607,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you."},{"start":4607,"end":4625,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"On escalated items, we're starting off with item 63 and that is the request to initiate a public participation process for the City of Johannesburg Municipal Planning By-law, 2016 Review, as amended in 2023."},{"start":4625,"end":4633,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, STC. Councillor D. Schay from the Democratic Alliance."},{"start":4633,"end":4646,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, just a note on this speaker's list, you've allocated me three minutes. Can I have my full time?"},{"start":4646,"end":4648,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"It's an error."},{"start":4648,"end":4655,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"But we also want you to speak for three minutes, not eight minutes. Thank you, Councillor Schay."},{"start":4655,"end":4678,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Honourable Speaker, to my DA colleagues who fight every day to see Johannesburg shine again, and to the residents of Johannesburg, and of course, to the class of 2026. Welcome to the fifth lecture in the Johannesburg School of Governance. Proudly brought to you by the Democratic Alliance and approved by the President of South Africa."},{"start":4678,"end":4708,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Let's recap the course so far. Lecture one was measurement. Lecture two was sequence. Lecture three was system and lecture four was inner city green spaces. Today's lecture is by far the simplest one yet. We're not doing advanced mathematics, we're doing maths literacy. Maths literacy, Speaker, the subject you take when numbers aren't hard, you just haven't checked them."},{"start":4708,"end":4711,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Let's check them together."},{"start":4711,"end":4738,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Item 63 asks this Council to authorise the initiation of a public participation process for the review of the Municipal Planning By-law. This report sets out a timeline. It is their timeline. I did not write it. I'm simply going to read it back to the class. Public participation, July to August. Department response to public comments, October 2026. Final approval to Council, November to December 2026."},{"start":4738,"end":4747,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"July, August, September, October, November, December."},{"start":4747,"end":4773,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Six months from today, all of them require a functioning Council to receive this report. Except, let's look at our Council calendar that's coming later in today's agenda. Last Council meeting is August. So, July, August. We're missing a whole bunch of numbers, right? We can't get to December with this Council. You're giving"},{"start":4773,"end":4784,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"a new Council in November, which will be led by Helen Zille, homework to do."},{"start":4784,"end":4811,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"We cannot complete this process in this Council term, and every rand spent on this process is going to be a waste. The Provincial Gazette notice, The Sowetan, the Beeld, The Star, The Citizen, the regional office copies, the public presentations will all have been spent on a process that produces nothing. This is not my arithmetic, this is their arithmetic. Written in their own report, confirmed by their own year planner, tabled at their own Council sitting."},{"start":4811,"end":4820,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"They handed us the exam paper and the answer sheet at the same meeting and still got the question wrong."},{"start":4820,"end":4846,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, this administration calls this a minor review. If it's minor and urgent, why was it not brought earlier in this term when it could still be finished? Because this is not about completing a by-law. This is about starting something popular, an online application system, easier development processes, right before an election so they can claim credit on the campaign trail while the cost and the unfinished work are dumped on the next Council."},{"start":4846,"end":4871,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The next Council, the one that will actually govern the city after November, will inherit a half-done public participation process that has already cost money and produced nothing. They'll either have to abandon it or start again properly. This is not responsible governance. This is pre-election theatre paid for with public money."},{"start":4871,"end":4900,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The costs are not minor. Four newspapers, regional offices across the city, public presentations. All that expenditure is authorised the moment this Council votes yes today. All of it spent, regardless of whether this process ever reaches a conclusion. You know, the Municipal Finance Management Act has a name for spending public money on processes that produce no result. It's called wasteful expenditure. It's not a characterization, it's a legal definition. And this Council is being asked to authorise it today."},{"start":4900,"end":4926,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Despite what everyone said yesterday about avoiding wasteful expenditure. In full knowledge that this process cannot complete because the year planner that proves it is sitting a few items down on the same agenda. Speaker, the DA does not oppose the substance of this by-law review. The online system, the engineering service agreements and the tighter bulk contributions are overdue. We oppose the timing. We oppose spending money the city does not have on a process that they cannot complete."},{"start":4926,"end":4952,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Our position is quite straightforward. Withdraw this item, preserve the draft, let the incoming Council, the Council that will actually govern this city, own the process from the beginning, complete it properly, and not inherit a half-finished exercise that has already wasted public funds. This is not an obstruction, this is responsible stewardship. Maths literacy is not about complex equations, it's about checking whether your answer makes sense before you hand in the paper."},{"start":4952,"end":4980,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The administration has handed in a paper with a timeline that runs past the last day of the exam. They're asking the Council to award them marks for work they cannot finish, work the next administration will have to fix. The DA will not be awarding those marks today. Five steps, one bead left on the calendar, the numbers don't work. They have never worked, and no amount of gazette notices will make them work. This was lecture five."},{"start":4980,"end":4996,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"This is the final term. There will be no extended learning program for slow learners. From next term onwards, there will only be instruction. There'll be sorry, there'll be no more instruction, there will only be demonstration. We believe in Joburg. Thank you."},{"start":4996,"end":5007,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Schay. ActionSA, Councillor R. Sehoai."},{"start":5007,"end":5011,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Say it again, Sehoai."},{"start":5011,"end":5012,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"st","text":"Ke Sehoai."},{"start":5012,"end":5029,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Can we get settled over here, please? Councillor Mazibuko. Oh, it's not you. Sorry, sorry. You look alike."},{"start":5029,"end":5033,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"You can start, Councillor. Your time is running."},{"start":5033,"end":5054,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"st","text":"Madume Speaker. Ke dumedise basebetsi mmoho le nna, hammoho le baahi ba toropo e kgolo ya Kgauta. Nka lebala jwang The Fabulous 44, ba bohlale ba bo chabela."},{"start":5054,"end":5071,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Regarding item 63, Madam Speaker, as ActionSA, we are saying any measures aimed at improving the efficiency of the department will always be welcomed. Therefore, we note this report. I thank you."},{"start":5071,"end":5081,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Um Councillor J. Mosehla from the Economic Freedom Fighters."},{"start":5081,"end":5091,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Jonasi. Jonasi. Oh, he's not around. We'll go."},{"start":5091,"end":5098,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay."},{"start":5098,"end":5104,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Morning, Speaker. Um the EFF agrees with the report. Thank you."},{"start":5104,"end":5121,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Ramafikeng from the African National Congress."},{"start":5121,"end":5131,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":5131,"end":5146,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"st","text":"Yo, ke tshohile. Ke batla go tswa."},{"start":5146,"end":5175,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"I would like to express my gratitude of being given an opportunity to present the development planning item number 63 today. Let me firstly acknowledge the presence of Madam Speaker of Council, Councillor Margaret Arnolds, Mayor of City of Johannesburg, in his excellency Councillor Dada Morero,"},{"start":5175,"end":5189,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Deputy Mayor, Councillor Loyiso Masuku, Chief Whip of Council, Councillor Sithembiso Zungu, Chair of Chairs, Councillor"},{"start":5189,"end":5217,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Marema. Speaker, the purpose of this report is to request permission from Council to initiate a public participation process for the minor review of the planning by-law 2016 as amended 2023. Speaker, the department has reviewed the by-law for two years."},{"start":5217,"end":5246,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The department seeks to request permission to conduct public participation for the following objectives. The first objective, Speaker, is to integration of the system within City of Johannesburg to create a single source of the property data and information across various impacted functions."},{"start":5246,"end":5270,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Now, objective number two, Speaker, efficient submission of land use application anywhere and anytime to promote internal efficiency by reducing returned and cancelled application."},{"start":5270,"end":5277,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Eish, sorry Speaker."},{"start":5277,"end":5304,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, limit who can submit applications. The proposed online system will allow only registered professionals per the Planning Profession Act 36 of 2002 to submit certain applications, which will assist with obtaining quality applications, process them rapidly, and"},{"start":5304,"end":5331,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"protect the city from non-performing agents. Ekurhuleni and Tshwane have implemented the same by-laws, which are working effectively for their municipality. Fix legal issues with enforcement. Changes were made after legal challenges came up during joint operations with JMPD or SAPS."},{"start":5331,"end":5361,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, the dilemma was whether JMPD could enforce the by-law. A clearly, more comprehensive definition in the by-law now fixes that gap. Speaker, in essence, the city needs stricter rules on who can apply and get a clearly legal wording so JMPD"},{"start":5361,"end":5373,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"and SAPS can enforce properly. Speaker, as the ANC, we request Council to approve this report. Thank you."},{"start":5373,"end":5381,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Ramafikeng. MMC, Acting Mayor."},{"start":5381,"end":5388,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as Councillors have indicated that uh this is a request"},{"start":5388,"end":5400,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Acting Mayor, just hold on. Colleagues, I'm not sure what's happening. It's almost like a flea market, up and down, in and out. No, can we not do that?"},{"start":5400,"end":5407,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Uh-uh! I didn't ask where it is."},{"start":5407,"end":5410,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Deputy Mayor."},{"start":5410,"end":5413,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"And the noise is here. Thank you, Deputy Mayor."},{"start":5413,"end":5441,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"A good morning to you once again, Madam Speaker, Whip of Council, Chair of Chairs, Chairs of Section 79, fellow MMCs, Councillors and leaders of various caucuses and once again congratulations to Bafana Bafana for reaching the following group stages. Speaker, as Councillors have already said that this is a request for public participation"},{"start":5441,"end":5473,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"and it's about really improving efficiency in land use management and planning processes. The proposed amendments will enable applicants to submit development applications electronically from anywhere where they are in the world and it will help to improve integration and this review also seeks to address infrastructure constraints affecting development by enabling developers to enter into agreements to provide certain engineering services where the city lacks immediate capacity."},{"start":5473,"end":5503,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"And the bylaw review further introduces clearer requirements regarding who may submit specific categories of planning applications and proposes mandatory pre-application inquiry processes for major land development application. And we are seeking this council approval, Madam Speaker, and I do want to say through you, there is absolutely no way officials and ourselves would have initially known that"},{"start":5503,"end":5535,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"there would be a decision to have the last Council in August. So this was a report that went through the structures of the city from as early as March. So we are asking for this report to be approved, but we have no problem with the implementation being done only after 4 November. So let's approve the report, but we are saying on record that we will only start with the actual public participation after the 4th of November. We don't have a problem with that. Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":5535,"end":5549,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Acting Mayor. The recommendations for the item is on page 6.35. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":5549,"end":5554,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The yeses have it. The \"nee\" came achterna."},{"start":5554,"end":5561,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Christians."},{"start":5561,"end":5570,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. In terms of Rule 84, can you please record the opposition of the Democratic Alliance to this item? Thank you."},{"start":5570,"end":5572,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much."},{"start":5572,"end":5595,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"We're now on item 65, and that is the request for approval to undertake a feasibility study, which is aimed at developing various public transport facilities management models which will be used for granting user rights to public transport facility users within the City of Johannesburg for the usage of designated and categorized public transport facilities."},{"start":5595,"end":5600,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. The DA Councillor Kreusch."},{"start":5600,"end":5605,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"I hope I pronounced it right."},{"start":5605,"end":5638,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. All protocol observed. The DA recognizes the importance of regularizing and formalizing their relationship with the taxi industry in order to make acceptable and reasonable arrangements for the use of those facilities. So the DA supports the item in terms of a feasibility study, but does reserve its rights regarding to the actual final input that should come to Section 79 for approval and for further interrogation. So as it stands, the DA supports it."},{"start":5638,"end":5648,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor T. Thema from ActionSA."},{"start":5648,"end":5659,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Morning, Speaker. Fellow Councillors, guests in the gallery, more importantly, the residents of the City of Johannesburg."},{"start":5659,"end":5662,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Khuphuka Bafana Bafana khuphuka!"},{"start":5662,"end":5664,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Khuphuka!"},{"start":5664,"end":5695,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I rise in strong support of item 65, which presents a practical and forward-looking solution to improve the management of public transport facilities in Johannesburg. Honourable members, we all know the current reality. Many of our transport facilities are poorly maintained, unsafe, and not meeting the standard our residents deserve. At the same time, the public transport operators, especially in the taxi industries, have"},{"start":5695,"end":5705,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"have..."},{"start":5705,"end":5720,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"At the same time, the public transport operators, especially in the taxi industries, have already stepped in to provide cleaning"},{"start":5720,"end":5755,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Sorry, Speaker. At the same time, the public transport operators, especially in the taxi industries, have already stepped in to provide cleaning and security services often without formal agreements or support from the city. Item 65 recognize this reality and propose a structured partnership. The proposal itself introduce a user rights model where transport operators take on the day-to-day management of facilities, including cleaning, security, and minor maintenance, while the city retains ownership and oversight."},{"start":5762,"end":5773,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"This is not a loss by the city, but rather a smart way of governing"},{"start":5773,"end":5776,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, what's happening?"},{"start":5776,"end":5779,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"I don't know, Speaker."},{"start":5779,"end":5786,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Don't pull the mic around, hold it steady. Please."},{"start":5786,"end":5791,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Honourable Speaker."},{"start":5791,"end":5795,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, please, someone is listening to respond."},{"start":5795,"end":5841,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Honourable Speaker, this approach will deliver immediate and visible improvement, cleaner and safer facilities, better service delivery for commuters, and of course, increase accountability at facility level. It also ensures that those who rely on these facilities daily have a direct take in maintaining them. Importantly, this item also advances economic transformation. The taxi industry, which carries a significant share of our commuters, has historically operated without subsidies and limited formal support. And the model itself promotes economic empowerment, job creation, and formal inclusion of operation into structured economic activity."},{"start":5841,"end":5883,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Furthermore, Speaker, the proposal strengthens the city's financial sustainability through the introduction of user fees and the establishment of Municipal Land Transport Fund to manage these revenues effectively. This also reduces pressure on municipal resources while improving service delivery. Honourable members, this is not just a rushed process. It also includes a feasibility study, facility valuations, a public participation process ensuring transparency and compliance within the legislation."},{"start":5883,"end":5917,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"In conclusion, Madam Speaker, item 65 offers a balanced, lawful, and practical solution to long-standing challenges. It also improves infrastructure management, empowers key stakeholders, and strengthens the city's ability to deliver public services. Let us all support a proposal that is grounded in reality, driving partnership, and focused on delivering a better and beautiful city called Johannesburg. I thank you."},{"start":5917,"end":5922,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you."},{"start":5922,"end":5934,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillor R. Leshilo from the Economic Freedom Fighters."},{"start":5934,"end":5947,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"nso","text":"Ke go leboge Speaker. Madume go bašomi ka nna. Ke dumedisha le badudi ka moka ba City of Johannesburg. Ke re halala Bafana Bafana halala!"},{"start":5947,"end":5949,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Halala!"},{"start":5949,"end":5951,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, as the Economic Freedom Fighters..."},{"start":5951,"end":5954,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"nso","text":"Batho ba Modimo."},{"start":5954,"end":5982,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, as the Economic Freedom Fighters, support this item because there is a merit in exploring the new management models for public transport facilities. However, we must be honest about what is this report really telling us. At its core, this report is an admission that the city has struggled to properly maintain many of its public transport facilities."},{"start":5982,"end":6023,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The report itself states that the city is unable to adequately provide cleaning and security services at some facilities resulting in taxi operators stepping in and providing these services at their own cost and without compensation from the municipality. Speaker, this reality must concern us. Public transport infrastructure is a municipal's responsibility. Taxi operators should not be forced to compensate for shortcomings in municipal service delivery."},{"start":6023,"end":6061,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"At the same time, we must acknowledge the critical role played by the taxi industry. The report notes that the minibus taxi accounts for approximately 31% of transport trips in Johannesburg, remain the primary mode of transport for millions of working-class residents. Every taxi operators transport people to work, school, clinics, places of economic activity, often without the level of government support enjoyed by other public transport modes."},{"start":6061,"end":6101,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The EFF therefore supports a process that seeks to formalize management arrangement and empower operators. However, we caution against using the process simply to transfer responsibility from the city to operators without adequate support, resources, and accountability mechanisms. We are also concerned, and while the report proposes the introduction of user fees and establishment of Municipal Land Transport Fund, it does not yet provide sufficient detail on financial implication for operators and commuters."},{"start":6101,"end":6120,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Council must ensure that this process does not become another financial burden on an industry that is already operating under difficult economic conditions."},{"start":6120,"end":6121,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"55 seconds."},{"start":6121,"end":6180,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, perhaps the most important lesson from this report is that the infrastructure cannot be built and then be neglected. The report itself acknowledges that some facilities will require refurbishment, upgrading, and repairs before user right can be granted. This demonstrates the extent of the maintenance challenges facing the city. The EFF will therefore support the recommendation. However, we call the meaningful consultation with the taxi industry, transparency regarding user fees, protection of commuter interest, and a clear commitment that the new management model must improve cleanliness, safety, maintenance, and dignity of public transport facilities. Ultimately, Speaker, commuters are interested in who management, who..."},{"start":6180,"end":6190,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Councillor Leshilo. Councillor Y. Twala from the African National Congress."},{"start":6190,"end":6226,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. I'll be speaking on behalf of Councillor Twala, she's not present today. Greetings to everyone, all protocols observed. I stand to speak on item 65: Request for approval to undertake a feasibility study, which is aimed at developing various public transport facilities management models, which will be used for granting user rights to public transport facilities users within the City of Johannesburg for the usage of designated and categorized public transport facilities."},{"start":6226,"end":6244,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, this is an important item because it touches on a long-standing challenge in the city: the need to better regulate, manage, and sustain public transport facilities, particularly in..."},{"start":6258,"end":6267,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"I next door?"},{"start":6267,"end":6273,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"IT, we don't need yesterday's repeat."},{"start":6273,"end":6279,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. I was saying, Speaker, that... [inaudible]"},{"start":6370,"end":6382,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. MMC Kunene."},{"start":6382,"end":6416,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Greetings, Madam Speaker. Greetings to the Executive Mayor, Madam Masuku. Oh, I said Executive Mayor. Okay, it's fine. Chair of Chairs, Chief Whip in absentia, Chairperson of Section 79 on Transport, the Chief Whip of the Patriotic Alliance, and the PA 10 Councillors that are in council."},{"start":6416,"end":6447,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, let me give context. In 2023, after I became the MMC of Transport, I signed a protocol agreement with the taxi industry, of which was SANTACO and NTA, and in the light of that document, we then had discussions. And out of those discussions, one of the issues I raised was the management of the taxi ranks."},{"start":6447,"end":6485,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, this report did not fall from a tree. It's part of the vision that I've brought to the Transport Department. The taxi industry took me to a taxi rank in Randburg that they've been running for 20 years. That taxi rank in Randburg is very clean, well run, and security is very tight. They have optometrists on site that test the eyes of the drivers every now and then. They've got companies that are selling spares to the taxis on site."},{"start":6485,"end":6516,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"And as part of my vision, we also negotiated with JPC to allocate the land next to the taxi rank, which was used as a dumping site, to use it as a holding area for the taxis as they were parking on the road. They also took me to a taxi rank in Orange Farm, which was donated to them by PRASA or Transnet. Very clean and very safe. That's where we keep our equipment when we are doing work in Orange Farm."},{"start":6516,"end":6550,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"In the light of that, I then instructed the team to find a piece of legislation that will support the user rights so that we can then bring to council a report where we give the taxi associations the right to manage our taxis. It is my view that they live there every day, 24/7, and they've demonstrated with the taxi ranks that I have seen, that I have visited, that they are capable of managing our taxi ranks and keeping them clean."},{"start":6550,"end":6583,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Yes, indeed, we need a feasibility study. I brought this report in 2023 to council. However, Section 79 of Economic Development then required to interrogate it. We are here now that the two Section 79s have supported this feasibility study, and we are on our way to finalizing the contractual issues. I think ActionSA went too much into the contractual issues; we are not yet there. We are on the feasibility study."},{"start":6583,"end":6607,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"And I concur with the Councillor from EFF that our taxi ranks are not well run. There are companies that are being paid every month, yet our taxi ranks are filthy, yet there is no proper security at our taxi ranks. So this goes a long way in shaping a good relationship with the city and the taxi associations."},{"start":6607,"end":6635,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Let me appreciate the Democratic Alliance, ActionSA, EFF, African National Congress, the Patriotic Alliance, and all the parties of the GLU for supporting this particular report. And Madam Speaker, salute Bafana Bafana, salute Minister Gayton McKenzie! Your aura has taken Bafana Bafana to the next round. Thank you very much. Salute!"},{"start":6635,"end":6665,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, MMC. Ah, it's finished now. Councillors... Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh! Councillors, recommendations are on pages... Councillor, I'm on the podium!"},{"start":6665,"end":6674,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Recommendations are on pages 65.15 to 65.16. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":6674,"end":6676,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Agreed."},{"start":6676,"end":6679,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much."},{"start":6679,"end":6690,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Item 79 is the City of Johannesburg MFMA in-year financial report for the period ended 31st January 2026."},{"start":6690,"end":6700,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. Councillor... Yes, ma'am? Oh, Councillor Santana."},{"start":6700,"end":6704,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, can we combine them all together, please? 79, 80, and 81. Thank you."},{"start":6704,"end":6705,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Pardon?"},{"start":6705,"end":6710,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Can we combine 79, 80, and 81 as one item?"},{"start":6710,"end":6724,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"79, 80, and 81. Okay, we'll do that. It's fine. Okay, 79, 80, and 81."},{"start":6724,"end":6758,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Once again, item 79 is City of Johannesburg MFMA in-year financial report for the period ended on 31st January 2026, read together with item 80, that is the City of Johannesburg MFMA in-year financial report for the period ended 28 February 2026, and lastly read with item 81, which is the City of Johannesburg MFMA in-year financial report for the period ended on 31st March 2026."},{"start":6758,"end":6792,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Okay, just before we start, item 79, item 80, we have all the same speakers. Item 81, there's a change of EFF where we have Councillor Zitha, am I right? Okay, so let's go. Councillor Mkhonza, so you have three, six, nine minutes."},{"start":6792,"end":6795,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Yes, thank you very much, Madam Speaker."},{"start":6795,"end":6803,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Just hold on, Councillor. Councillor De Lange. Oh, and then on item 81, Councillor Boer."},{"start":6803,"end":6824,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. If we can just check the sequence so we don't get confused here. Obviously, we're coming in and the EFF are changing, so maybe we must just stick to the sequence of 81 if we are combining, and just see the speakers on the other items for the different parties. Thank you."},{"start":6824,"end":6834,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"It's okay, Councillor, we'll manage it. We'll manage it in our way. Councillor Mkhonza, nine minutes."},{"start":6834,"end":6846,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Yeah, thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Allow me to first acknowledge our Almighty God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit."},{"start":6846,"end":6847,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Amen."},{"start":6847,"end":6878,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"To also acknowledge the Executive Mayor in absentia, the Deputy Executive Mayor and their executive team, and all the Councillors, and greetings to our constituents and our beloved residents of the City of Johannesburg. I greet you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."},{"start":6878,"end":6880,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Amen."},{"start":6880,"end":6910,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"And congratulations once again to Bafana Bafana, especially Hugo Broos, Helman Mkhalele, the technical team, and the SAFA for having brought Hugo Broos against criticism, and he has brought mental strength to the team, and we say congratulations to Bafana Bafana."},{"start":6910,"end":6941,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, allow me to first quote from my guiding manual, the Holy Bible, from the book of Luke 16, verse 10. It reads as follows: \"The one who faithfully manages the little he has been given will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities. But those who cheat with the little they have been given will not be considered trustworthy to receive more.\""},{"start":6941,"end":6975,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, the ACDP caucus wishes to focus on two critical areas arising from the Section 71 reports, namely the performance of the conditional grants and the city's profit and cost movements. These are key indicators of the municipality's financial health, service delivery capability, and overall governance effectiveness. Before addressing these matters, we must express our concern regarding the city's persistently low collection rates."},{"start":6975,"end":7006,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Revenue collection for January, February, and March stood at 83.7%, 83.4%, and 84.8% respectively, averaging approximately 84% year-to-date. These figures continue to reflect weaknesses in both credit control and revenue management system, which remain fundamental pillars of the city's financial sustainability. The less said about the continued concerns relating to the mSCOA compliance, the better."},{"start":7006,"end":7043,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Conditional grants for the financial year 2025/2026: On January, the overall performance was 64%. The ACDP notes that the Public Transport Network Grant, PTNG, remains one of the poorest performing conditional grants at 41%, closely followed by the Energy Efficiency Demand Side Management Grant, EEDSM. Such levels of expenditure raise serious concerns regarding project implementation capacity and the ability of departments to utilize allocated funds effectively."},{"start":7043,"end":7075,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Under capital expenditure per funding source: Capital expenditure performance stood at 26% as at 31 January 2026, compared to 29% during the same period in the previous financial year. This decline is concerning, particularly considering the significant infrastructure and service delivery backlogs facing the city. City Power and Joburg Water remain under pressure, recording expenditure levels of only 30% and 22% respectively."},{"start":7075,"end":7111,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"In February, the overall performance was 66%. While there was a marginal improvement in overall grant expenditure, the PTNG remained stagnant at 41%. More concerning is the sharp decline in the EEDSM expenditure to 26%, representing a significant reduction from previous reporting periods. The executive should provide a detailed explanation for this regression and outline the corrective measures being implemented."},{"start":7111,"end":7142,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Capital expenditure per funding source: The capital expenditure stood at 30% compared to 35% during the corresponding period in previous financial year. Although City Power and Joburg Water showed slight improvements, reaching 33% and 26% respectively, overall performance remained below acceptable levels. Municipal entities recorded expenditure of 37%, while departments collectively managed only 20% expenditure."},{"start":7142,"end":7166,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Of particular concern is the complete absence of spending by Economic Development, Social Development, Forensic and Investigation Services, the Office of the Speaker, and the Ombudsman. Such performance raises questions regarding project readiness, procurement processes, and institutional capacity."},{"start":7166,"end":7200,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"March: The overall performance was 43%. The ACDP notes with serious concern the substantial risk of underspending allocated conditional grants with only three months remaining before the end of the financial year. The continued underperformance of PTNG, underline that, PTNG, now standing at only 32%, demonstrates persistent implementation challenges that require urgent intervention."},{"start":7200,"end":7217,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"We therefore seek clarity from the Executive Deputy Mayor regarding the city's strategy to ensure that all conditional grant allocations are fully spent within the prescribed timeframes and that no funding is forfeited to National Treasury."},{"start":7217,"end":7246,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Capital expenditure per funding source: Capital expenditure remains unacceptably low at 41%. Municipal entities recorded expenditure of 46%, while City Power and Joburg Water stood at 45% and 34% respectively. Even more concerning is the fact that Economic Development, Social Development, Forensic Services, and the Office of the Speaker had still not recorded expenditure against their capital budgets."},{"start":7246,"end":7267,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The responsible MMCs must provide council with detailed reasons for this continued lack of spending and indicate what remedial actions are being implemented to prevent the loss of critical development opportunities. Profit and cost movement analysis:"},{"start":7267,"end":7294,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"For January, the ACDP notes with concern the significant financial pressures reflected in the city's profit and cost movement analysis. City Power reported a balance of approximately 21 billion, while Joburg Development Agency recorded 2 billion and JOSHCO 1.9 billion. Furthermore, cash outflows exceeded inflows, resulting in a negative movement of 333 million. This trend places additional pressure on the city's liquidity position"},{"start":7294,"end":7317,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"and ability to fund operational and capital commitments. In February, the negative cash flow trend persisted during February, with cash outflows continuing to exceed inflows. City Power remained significantly exposed at 19.9 billion, while JDA and JOSHCO remained unchanged at approximately 2 billion and 1.9 billion respectively."},{"start":7317,"end":7324,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"This continued imbalance between inflows and outflows signals ongoing financial strain and highlights the importance of improving revenue collection."},{"start":7324,"end":7326,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"56 seconds left."},{"start":7326,"end":7356,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. The March results present a more positive picture with cash inflows exceeding outflows, resulting in a positive net movement of approximately 2.5 billion. While this improvement is welcome, the underlying balances remain significant. City Power continues to carry a substantial balance of 19.1 billion despite a slight reduction compared to January. JOSHCO and JDA remained at approximately 1.9 and 2 billion respectively."},{"start":7356,"end":7382,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The city must ensure that this positive movement is sustained and translated into improved service delivery outcomes and infrastructure investment. In conclusion, Madam Speaker, the ACDP take note of the report, but remains concerned about the significant variances in conditional grant expenditure, capital budget implementation, both of which continue to perform well below the expected benchmark."},{"start":7382,"end":7389,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Mkhonza. Councillor Nkonyeni."},{"start":7389,"end":7394,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"You're speaking on all three, so you have 15 minutes."},{"start":7394,"end":7420,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Eh ngiyabonga Speaker. Angizukudinga wonke lowo 15 minutes ngoba angizi futhi nje ukumosha isikhathi. Angibingelele amakhansela alomkhandlu, eh ngibingelele izivakashi zethu, izakhamuzi ezisibukele kwezokuxhumana, eh ngibingelele iFabulous 44 eh la ngemva kwami ibutho leli."},{"start":7420,"end":7430,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Ngibuye ngibingelele, ake ngithi ngifuna ukubeka futhi nokuthi uKhansela Shai useMexico kuyimanje."},{"start":7430,"end":7455,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Eh uyasirepresenta. Ya, ubekhona vele impela ubesirepresenta. Kahle, kahle, kahle Raphadu. Speaker, Speaker uyamemeza uRaphadu and isikhathi sami phela manje ngicela ungiprotect weSpeaker. Eh hhe-eh ngina-15 minutes kahle wena. Speaker, lama-section 71"},{"start":7455,"end":7457,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"You only have 12 left now."},{"start":7457,"end":7471,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"uqina, uqina, ngicela ukukhuluma Speaker. Uyena uqina. Speaker, lama-section 71 report alate kabi. Ngalokho ke angizukumosha isikhathi."},{"start":7471,"end":7502,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Because the people of Johannesburg, they don't care about figures and they don't care about numbers. They care about the reality, and the reality is that the city is owing Eskom. The billing system is broken. We are still not mSCOA compliant. The city is insolvent and relying on loans. Cost of living is too high. Debtors book is increasing. Unemployment is too high. Service delivery has completely collapsed."},{"start":7502,"end":7527,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Revenue collection is poor. Contractors are not paid on time. That is the reality of the city that we cannot run away from, Speaker. It is a shame that we have to sit here today and debate old reports while the city has completely collapsed. Even kwathina in this council, the very same council is collapsing. Kwayizolo we had IT issues, asazi ukuthi kwakwenzakalani. We had rats!"},{"start":7527,"end":7556,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Inkinga phela le Speaker esibhekene nayo. So akusizi ukuthi silokhe sidingida izinto zakudala la, nabantu abalokhu bebanga umsindo. Futhi laba bakhona abashaywe amabi-BGM ngale, abangawubangi umsindo. Abanye ngeke baze babuye futhi Speaker ngicela ukukutshela! Abayeke umsindo! Abayeke umsindo, bashaywe ama-BGM, vote of no confidence from their very own branches, ngikutshele Speaker ngoba ayikho into elapha bahlulekile futhi. Speaker,"},{"start":7556,"end":7573,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Asizelanga yona le oyikhulumayo. Awazi ukuthi ukhuluma ngani la. Hhayi ayikho into oyishoyo. Asizelanga leyo oyikhulumayo. Hlala phansi. Hlala phansi! Asizelanga leyo oyikhulumayo."},{"start":7573,"end":7589,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"I'm asking you to be seated. There's a hand up and you continue. Councillor Raphadu. No, no, no, you, you..."},{"start":7589,"end":7592,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Raphadu, please continue."},{"start":7592,"end":7626,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I'm deeply concerned that the speaker is continually engaging howlers instead of engaging the report, and is causing a situation where we'll retaliate. So please can he engage the report and not engage other people. But for in case, I'm coming back. I'm wondering if he will come back."},{"start":7626,"end":7658,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Nkonyeni, I haven't asked you to get up. Can you please, and honestly, I did not understand everything that you said, but I could hear the insults that was in there. So can you please... uh-uh, uh-uh! Councillor Nkonyeni, Councillor Nkonyeni, can you stick to your speech? Can you stick to the item?"},{"start":7658,"end":7677,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Can you stick to the item, please? And it's not up for debate between me and you. Can you stick to the item? Thank you. You can get up, Councillor Nkonyeni."},{"start":7677,"end":7689,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Ngiyabonga Speaker. Speaker, into ebengiyicela nje kuwena bengicela ukuthi ungivikele Speaker njengoba ngenza i-speech sami."},{"start":7689,"end":7694,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Be impartial, Speaker, that's the only thing that I'm asking for, and protect the speaker."},{"start":7694,"end":7695,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Onenkinga uzophakamisa isandla."},{"start":7695,"end":7705,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Can you be seated? There's a point of order. Can you be seated? Councillor Christians. Colleagues on the other side, please."},{"start":7705,"end":7723,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I rise in terms of Rule 82. Speaker, I have the same concern that Councillor Nkonyeni just raised. You previously ruled that it is the individual speech and they have the freedom of speech when it comes to it, but now you are saying he needs to..."},{"start":7723,"end":7725,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"You haven't."},{"start":7725,"end":7747,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"He has freedom of speech. He has freedom of speech, but even though I don't understand the language, I could detect what was in there. Councillor Nkonyeni, can you carry on? Councillor Nkonyeni, do you want to carry on with your speech?"},{"start":7747,"end":7749,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"I want to carry on, Speaker."},{"start":7749,"end":7752,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Carry on where you left."},{"start":7752,"end":7758,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"zu","text":"Ake ngiyivale. Kancane guys, please. Ake ngiyivale ke Speaker."},{"start":7758,"end":7809,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"People must vote for ActionSA, Speaker, and stop giving their votes to self-serving parties who only care about foreign currencies in their sofas. People must vote for ANC if they care about the City of Johannesburg and this country. Ngiyabonga Speaker."},{"start":7809,"end":7831,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, colleagues. Thank you, colleagues. Thank you so much, colleagues. I thank you! Colleagues, thank you! Councillors! Councillors, thank you so much. Thank you."},{"start":7831,"end":7833,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, people must vote for ActionSA. People must vote for ActionSA."},{"start":7833,"end":7837,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Can I have order? Can I have order?"},{"start":7837,"end":7840,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Vote ANC!"},{"start":7840,"end":7870,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, can we have order, please? Okay, we're going to the next speaker. Thank you, Councillor Nkonyeni. We are going to Councillor Santana. Councillor Santana, you have 24 minutes. Hhayi bo, it's done! It's done, it's recorded, it's done!"},{"start":7870,"end":7884,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"No, Speaker! We withdraw! No, Speaker, no, Speaker!"},{"start":7884,"end":7896,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Can I have Councillor Santana, please? Eh-eh, eh-eh, councillors! Councillors, please. Councillor Santana, you have 24 minutes."},{"start":7896,"end":7904,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. I think we must just all just vote for the Democratic Alliance."},{"start":7904,"end":7932,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the financial snapshot before us is not a technical footnote. It's a warning light flashing red across the dashboard of the City of Johannesburg. By February 2026, the city had collected revenue that was only 1% above budget, at about 740 million more than planned, yet operating expenditure was already 4% over budget, roughly 2.3 billion rand over the plan."},{"start":7932,"end":7958,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The result is stark. Instead of the budgeted 1.1 billion surplus, the city is sitting with an operating deficit of approximately 418 million. That is the difference between responsible government and financial drift. Residents are paying more, but the city is not converting enough of the billing into reliable cash, working infrastructure, or dependable services."},{"start":7958,"end":7984,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"The number confirms what the community is experiencing every day: a city that bills aggressively, spends loosely, collects weakly, and delivers too slowly. And nowhere is this more visible than in the capital delivery. Council approved an 8.7 billion rand capital budget for the 2025/2026, but by February, only 2.6 billion had been spent, just 30% of the program."},{"start":7984,"end":8015,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Every delayed project means another transformer not upgraded, another water leak not repaired, another road not rehabilitated, and another community left waiting for basic services that they'd already paid for. The cash position deepens the concern. In February, the cash and cash investments fell from approximately 1.8 billion to 1.4 billion, a monthly decrease of about 400 million, and the sinking fund decline of 42.3 million,"},{"start":8015,"end":8044,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"while interest rate swaps recorded a negative movement of 47.2 million. These are not abstract accounting entries; they are early signs of tightening liquidity, and if ignored, they will affect suppliers, service continuity, and ultimately residents. The debtors book is equally alarming. Arrears across water, electricity, and property rates remain heavily concentrated in the over-90-day bracket. Debt impairment is placing growing pressure on the income statement,"},{"start":8044,"end":8073,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"with impairment costs running at elevated levels. Madam Speaker, a municipality cannot build a stable future if it keeps billing residents without collecting what it's owed, while allowing arrears to pile up month after month. The city's entities reflect the same instability. City Power faces large cash flow swings while the grid remains under pressure. Johannesburg Water is burdened by arrears and non-revenue water,"},{"start":8073,"end":8105,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"even as residents endure leaks, outages, and service interruptions. Pikitup's performance remains uneven, with service reliability exposed whenever cash tightens. These are not isolated problems; they are symptoms of a city's government that has lost control of the basics. The Democratic Alliance proposes the following remedies to immediately address some of these issues: Expenditure discipline now, freeze non-essential operating spending, and re-baseline contracted services and other operating costs."},{"start":8105,"end":8129,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Align bulk purchase to realistic expectations. Accelerate capital where it counts. Fast-track shovel-ready, high-impact projects in power distribution, water leak reduction, and road rehabilitation. Clear supply chain bottlenecks with weekly CapEx war room tracking until delivery surpasses 85% by the year run date."},{"start":8129,"end":8157,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"Revenue protection and collections: Target the top 1,000 arrear accounts across government, business, and high-usage residentials with escalated credit control. Ring-fence revenue streams at high-collection depots, and intensify meter auditing and tampering enforcement. Cash and treasury stabilization: Strengthen daily cash monitoring, squeeze payments to safeguard service continuity,"},{"start":8157,"end":8180.68,"video":"3u_bb_z-xh4","lang":"en","text":"review swap and investment positions to cut volatility and lock in low-risk structures. Entity performance focus: City Power, curb technical and non-technical losses, tie management incentives to loss reduction and collection uplift. Johannesburg Water, prioritize non-revenue water projects with measurable monthly loss cuts. Madam Speaker,"},{"start":8181,"end":8187,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"life was taken, and his sin was because he's Tsonga, coming from Giyani."},{"start":8187,"end":8196,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We must never ever stop talking about Hlamulo Sambo. Justice for Hlamulo Sambo. Thank you."},{"start":8196,"end":8201,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor."},{"start":8201,"end":8211,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Raadslid Boer, Vryheidsfront Plus."},{"start":8211,"end":8212,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Goeiemôre."},{"start":8212,"end":8241,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, uhm good morning fellow councillors. I think let's stay away from politics and really focus on the serious business of the day. I'm only going to speak about item number 81, the third, the March section 71 report. Madam Speaker yesterday in council we approved the turnaround framework."},{"start":8241,"end":8270,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And a turnaround framework can only work if we can have reliable financial information and unfortunately these section 71 reports, the figures are so one wonders where are they coming from. Uhm and there's no wonder that National Treasury is asking the city questions about their finances, because if I was sitting in National Treasury, I would have had no idea what's going on in the city's finances. Uhm"},{"start":8270,"end":8300,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The report says in the March report the total cash inflows was 15.4 billion and the total cash outflow was 12.9 billion. And then the comment says the cash outflows were more than the cash inflows resulting in a negative movement in our cash balances, although the cash balances improved by 2.4 billion. And then it says the inflows for the month of February includes cash collection of 4.9 billion, which should actually be"},{"start":8300,"end":8331,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"March. So, the standard of reporting, especially in a Section 71 report, is to say the least, is shocking. Uhm, Madam Speaker, and these are the figures that are going to be used to base our turnaround framework. It's not going to work. Another example, the collection rate. Uh for March, the collection rate was 96.5%. In April, it dropped down to 81%. Madam Speaker, it's not possible in a city like Johannesburg that the"},{"start":8331,"end":8343,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"collection rate drops from 96% to 81%, a drop of 15% in one single month. Uhm so the figures that we have in front of us are really not reliable figures."},{"start":8343,"end":8344,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"50 sekondes."},{"start":8344,"end":8374,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And then the two items that we see out of this report which is positive is the sinking fund is 1.6 billion, enough money to settle our bonds at the end of June. Uhm the R3 billion short-term facility was repaid on the 20th of March, that's also a positive figure and that was only because we received R6.8 billion in grant funding in March which is going to bite us again in April. Madam Speaker, to close off,"},{"start":8374,"end":8378,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I think the residents of the city should vote for the Vryheidsfront Plus."},{"start":8378,"end":8381,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Ons tyd is nou. Dankie."},{"start":8381,"end":8384,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Dankie, Raadslid."},{"start":8384,"end":8398,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh Councillor Modupi from the African National Congress."},{"start":8398,"end":8421,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Uh Madam Speaker, let me pass my greetings to the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg in absentia, Ntate Sello Morero. And also, let me extend my greetings to the Deputy Executive Mayor of the City of"},{"start":8426,"end":8429,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Try next door."},{"start":8429,"end":8449,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, it requires mine. I think it, mine will do."},{"start":8449,"end":8475,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Loyiso Masuku. And uh without any further ado, let me say protocol observed. Madam Speaker, I want to start by saying, you know, in the African National Congress, we are very conscientious, because we are hard workers. I spent time with uh Councillor Nkonyeni. He frequents my office."},{"start":8475,"end":8501,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"So, most of the time, I show him that we are hard workers. At some point, when I was showing him, I said, if you don't agree, let us go to the public radio and have a debate, me and you. So, I think he has succumbed and he believed that African National Congress works, hence uh he also encourages"},{"start":8501,"end":8508,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the citizens of Gauteng province and in particular the citizens of Johannesburg to vote for the African National Congress."},{"start":8508,"end":8522,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Mngani wami, uyabo? Uyabona ukuthi ngiwenzile umsebenzi? Ngicela ukuthi uze, kudala ngikutshela angithi? Nayo nomphakathi wase Pimville uyazi ukuthi uyakuthanda angithi? Ngicela ukuthi usondele lapho."},{"start":8522,"end":8549,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yeah, uh Madam Speaker, whilst still at it, I rise to address the Section 71 monthly budget report for January, February and March. At the outset, let me say that these reports do not paint a picture of total collapse, but neither do they allow this Council to be comfortable. What they show is a municipality whose financial position improved by the end of the quarter,"},{"start":8549,"end":8576,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"but where important weaknesses remain, especially in the expenditure control, collection performance, capital delivery across some entities and the reconciliation between the monthly budget reports and the quarterly reports. Firstly, on the Section 71 monthly budget reports, when one reads the January, February and March reports together, a clear pattern emerges, Madam Speaker. In January,"},{"start":8576,"end":8604,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the city recorded revenue above budget, which is welcome, but the positive revenue performance was undermined by operating expenditure that was already above budget, resulting in an operating deficit where the city had actually planned to be in surplus. Capital expenditure was moving, but still at a low level for a municipality of this size and developmental responsibility."},{"start":8604,"end":8633,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"In February, the position remained mixed. Revenue was still above budget and capital expenditure improved slightly, but the operating deficit worsened. So, despite the revenue strength, the city was still not translating that into a healthy operating position. That tells us that expenditure pressure remained a serious concern. Then in March, we see a much stronger picture. Revenue outperformed budget. More significantly,"},{"start":8633,"end":8660,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"expenditure pressure reduced, the operating position moved into surplus and capital expenditure rose meaningfully. On the face of it, March is the strongest of the three monthly reports. So, taken together, Madam Speaker, the Section 71 reports tell us this. The city entered the quarter under pressure, remained under strain in February, but recovered materially by the end of March."},{"start":8660,"end":8684,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This is the broad financial story of Quarter 3. Now Speaker, there are indeed matters in these monthly reports that deserve to be commended. The first is that revenue performance remained above budget across the quarter, and by March it had improved quite substantially. That is not a small achievement in the current economic climate, Madam Speaker."},{"start":8684,"end":8716,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The second is that capital expenditure improved over the quarter. It rose from a weak position in January, improved in February and showed a much stronger position by the end of March. That suggests that some efforts were made to accelerate implementation. The third is that the Section 71 reports themselves are detailed enough to support oversight. They provide a basis for Council to ask questions on revenue, expenditure, capital,"},{"start":8716,"end":8744,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"cash, debtors, creditors and entity performance. But Speaker, these positive elements must be weighed against serious concerns, and as African National Congress we are not oblivious to those concerns. The first concern is expenditure pressure. In all three months, the city's operating expenditure remained above budget, even though the rate of overspending reduced over time."},{"start":8744,"end":8774,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This means that while the trend improved, the city was still spending above where it should have been. It is, therefore, not enough to celebrate the March turnaround without asking why January and February were under such pressure in the first place. The second is the sharp movement between February and March. We moved from a worsening deficit in February to a significant operating surplus in March. Now that may well"},{"start":8774,"end":8801,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"be legitimate. It may be driven by stronger collections, grant receipts, expenditure timing, year-end adjustments or a combination of factors. But it is a movement large enough that Council is entitled to ask for a full explanation. We cannot simply note the improvement and move on. We must understand what caused it and whether it is sustainable."},{"start":8801,"end":8830,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The third concern is that capital expenditure, although improving, still appears uneven. By March the position is still much better than in January. But one strong month at the end of a quarter does not automatically mean the capital program is healthy across the city group. We must still ask which entities and which projects are carrying the program and which ones remain at risk of under-delivery."},{"start":8830,"end":8853,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I now uh want to turn uh to the conclusion of uh this uh speech of mine. Uh as uh I conclude this speech of mine, Madam Speaker, let me just go a little bit further. These reports do not call for panic altogether,"},{"start":8853,"end":8885,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"but they do call for vigilance. They show improvement, yes, but improvement mixed with inconsistency, pressure and unresolved questions. It is therefore the duty of this Council not merely to receive these reports, but to interrogate them, to reconcile them and to ensure that the financial story being told to Council is complete, coherent and credible. And we also uh we also thank the administration to bring this report to us."},{"start":8885,"end":8898,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh we see that is the approach to transparency. We as the African National Congress, we welcome this report and we note this report. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker."},{"start":8898,"end":8912,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Modupi. Uh MMC Masuku."},{"start":8912,"end":8944,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, uh once more, Madam Speaker. And thank you to all the councillors for your robust uh and honest uh engagements uh as it relates to the Section 71 report. Madam Speaker, I do want to indicate that uhm I appreciate the comments and yesterday we approved Item 66, which is the financial turnaround plan, which all of us, I think, have an interest to make sure it actually succeeds"},{"start":8944,"end":8975,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"uh so that the framework actually gives us the improvements that we want to see happening. And I agree with Councillor uhm Santana uhm on some of the recommendations that he made and we are more than willing to implement recommendations that are going to take the city forward, and I think some of them also uhm are articulated in the turnaround plan because we speak about the acceleration of revenue collection, the debt recovery initiatives,"},{"start":8975,"end":9006,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and of course prioritize reduction of water and electricity losses that uhm protect the city's revenue, improve capital expenditure and to ensure that our infrastructure investment is into service delivery, uh and align the department and municipal entities. And uh most councillors raised the issue of the entities uhm and their performance agreements, so that they are measurable in the turnaround. Uhm and then Madam Speaker, through you, uhm I know most councillors have"},{"start":9006,"end":9038,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"uhm and I appreciate it also coming from Councillor Zitha, uhm Councillor uh Modupi as well as uhm uh Councillor Mkhonza. Yes, there was significant improvement in March, uhm and this is encouraging because it reflects an improvement in terms of revenue collection, liquidity, operating performance. Uhm however, uhm the issues that have been raised by councillors in terms of uhm grant performance, uhm how we need to elevate and expedite that,"},{"start":9038,"end":9069,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and we've clearly said that to improve grant performance, the city has strengthened monitoring and oversight processes. We now have regular review expenditure and procurement progress, physical project delivery and uhm looking at associated risk, and we'll continue to closely work with National Treasury as well and provincial government to address some of the challenges that we have, as well as future allocations. And I do want to also indicate that there was, I think, a specific question"},{"start":9069,"end":9099,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"on the March report uhm how it showed the significant inflows. And that's precisely because of the grants that were allocated and released and uhm that had been initially withheld by National Treasury while we were able to resolve some differences with them under the USDG projects, uhm and specifically on the funds of the BFI on Lufhereng. And the release in March was in line with the national fiscus, and at the end of the day, one of the things that we are very clear about is"},{"start":9099,"end":9129,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"a clear monitoring mechanism in the Office of the City Manager, where there's a specific dedicated uh person who works on uhm the tracking. And then uhm there was a direct question, Madam Speaker, is it possible to have uhm the March uh improvement, but then the April then you drop? Yes, it is possible, uh Councillors, particularly because if you count, in April we had 11 days of public holidays. So, uhm"},{"start":9129,"end":9159,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"you had the four days of the Easter, you had the four days of the weekend of 27 June, and then before 1st of May, May Day, people took those three days and it gives you uh so you lose just under uh two weeks. So it is possible to have that drop, and it's not by uhm uh design, it's just the nature, because people will reprioritize uhm other things. And the work that we saw in March, we've said also to the teams, let's get back to basics,"},{"start":9159,"end":9190,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"chase the accounts that matter, so that we are able to collect. And also, we are clear on the collection from government departments that are owing us. We are clear on the inner city that owes us and the work that we've started to do in terms of uh the cut-offs, and also the monitoring after the cut-off, because we cut off and then we find that there are internal mechanisms where people are able to use to be able to reconnect themselves. So that strict monitoring"},{"start":9190,"end":9220,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"uhm and bylaw uh actually enforcement is important for us to get there. So we appreciate your comments, uhm Councillors, and we will never hide the financial situation of the city. But we've said, when we agreed on the turnaround uhm uh plan, our intention is to make sure that we improve on our even on our debtors' book and the mechanisms that we are putting out to make sure that we recover debt. And where we know that we will never be able to recover"},{"start":9220,"end":9234,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the debt, yesterday we also approved the debt relief program, which will also enable us to deal with debt that we know we will not be able to recover. And we appreciate the comments from the councillors. Thank you, Madam Speaker."},{"start":9234,"end":9253,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Acting Mayor. Uh colleagues, the three items 79, 80 and 81, they are all for noting. Are we noting them? Thank you, they are noted."},{"start":9253,"end":9263,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Item 84, seek authorization to transfer budget shortfall for the implementation of the biogas pilot project to DBSA."},{"start":9263,"end":9271,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Harris from the ACDP."},{"start":9271,"end":9301,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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."},{"start":9301,"end":9304,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"It is a case study on gatekeeping and the abuse of sustainable"},{"start":9304,"end":9313,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Sifumba and Councillor Avant-Smith."},{"start":9313,"end":9326,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, no, no, Councillor, your leader has already recognized that you were talking. Thank you. Councillor Harris."},{"start":9326,"end":9331,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh thank you, Madam Speaker. If you can please start the clock again, it would be appreciated."},{"start":9331,"end":9333,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Clock was stopped. Thank you."},{"start":9333,"end":9365,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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,"},{"start":9365,"end":9396,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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."},{"start":9396,"end":9425,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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"},{"start":9425,"end":9427,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"50 seconds left."},{"start":9427,"end":9438,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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."},{"start":9438,"end":9455,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Harris. Uhm Councillor M. Koekemoer. I think there's an apology for her. So, we're passing it. Thank you, Councillor Smit."},{"start":9455,"end":9459,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Raadslid Boer."},{"start":9459,"end":9461,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Dankie, Mevrou die Speaker."},{"start":9461,"end":9491,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uhm I'm mainly covered by the previous councillor, and I think this project is best described by the note that was made on the 9th of October 2019 by the then city manager, I've never met him, uhm Dr N. Lukwareni. He made a note on this report in 2019 and he says, EISD, I have been signing a number of these DBSA"},{"start":9491,"end":9522,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"stroke biogas agreements without any action by the grant. Do you have an implementation plan? Can I get the milestones? That was a comment that was made seven years ago and I think the same comment we can ask today. Can we have milestones? Is there any action plan on the ground? Because we're asking for another R50 billion, ag R50 million, uhm, but this item has been on the agenda"},{"start":9522,"end":9548,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"of Council for the past five years, and it comes on and it goes off. It has been discussed on EISD, but it seems to me there's absolutely no movement from the ground. And the project itself is a necessary project, we fully support it, but the way that it doesn't get going is really, we need answers on that. Uhm thank you, Madam Speaker."},{"start":9548,"end":9562,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Boer. Uhm Councillor H. Masuku, ActionSA."},{"start":9562,"end":9593,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Good day, Speaker. Uh good day to the Fabulous 44, uhm the guests in the gallery, and then most importantly, the citizens of Johannesburg. Speaker, we approve this report. Thank you."},{"start":9593,"end":9600,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Santana, DA."},{"start":9600,"end":9630,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Democratic Alliance has concerns with regards to this report. Uhm the issues that we are concerned about is this project's been ongoing for 10 years, literally 10 years. The questions we have is, why was this not then budgeted for in the budget that we passed last month? Why is it coming now? It raises a lot of red flags for us in the sense that is this something that we are unaware of? It's been delayed time and time again,"},{"start":9630,"end":9661,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"so clearly there is a fundamental issue with this item. Uhm and we don't know how much we're going to be funding, whether the 50 million is the final or is there continuous funding thereafter. The report is not clear in how much we are expected to contribute. Uhm I do understand that between the DBSA and ourselves, we were the co-funders as well. Uh, but we are not seeing uh value for money on this issue, and we're not seeing whether this is actually going to be the finalized part. And again, we're raising the question of why was it not then budgeted"},{"start":9661,"end":9695,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"for, if it's so critical, in the budget that came to Council last month? So, Madam Speaker, with that being said, we would actually like this report to be referred to MPAC for investigation, try and understand what's going on and unpack it, uhm and try and get investigations as to why this has been so delayed. Why has it not been uh pushed by the DBSA, if it is the case that there's money? Uh my gut feel is obviously it's something that the DBSA funded and we did not uh put up our part in and we have to pay them back, that's if I have to be honest"},{"start":9695,"end":9719,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"with myself and try and just try and connect the dots. Uhm it seems they we didn't commit to something that we should have, and hence we're paying DBSA because we had failed to implement what should have been implemented. And therefore we would like this to be referred to MPAC for investigation. I would urge Council not to support this at this point in time until we have the understanding of what's transpired on this project and why it has been so delayed. I thank you, Madam Speaker. The DA does not support this."},{"start":9719,"end":9729,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Santana. Councillor Mkasi from the Economic Freedom Fighters."},{"start":9729,"end":9761,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh thank you very much, uh Speaker. The EFF approach this item from a standpoint of working class, the unemployed, waste pickers, communities living next to landfill sites, the generation that will inherit the environmental consequences of today's decisions. The report asks Council to approve the transfer of 50 million to Development Bank of South Africa for completion of biogas pilot project. The stated objective is uh to reduce waste going to landfill,"},{"start":9761,"end":9791,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"generate renewable energy and create jobs. These are objectives that the EFF has consistently championed because our people need jobs, our people need electricity and our people need sustainable development. But Speaker, we must ask a fundamental question. Why are we here in 2026 discussing a project that started more than a decade ago? The city was invited in 2014 to participate in this program. The grant was approved in 2016,"},{"start":9791,"end":9821,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"millions were committed, the city paid its contribution, yet today we are told that contractor appointment delays, non-responsive tenders and cost escalation have created a budget shortfall requiring another 50 million from the people of Johannesburg. The EFF refuses to normalize this culture of endless delays. Every delay in government project is not merely an administration inconvenience. It is an unemployment delay, it is a service delivery delay, it is an economic development"},{"start":9821,"end":9852,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"delay. While officials were processing paperwork and tenders were collapsing, thousands of young people in Johannesburg remained unemployed. While officials debate procurement processes, landfills continue to fill up. While contractors failed to materialize, communities continued living with environmental hazard. That is why the EFF says real crisis confronting Johannesburg is not shortage of ideas, the real crisis is a shortage of political will,"},{"start":9852,"end":9881,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"accountability and the sense of urgency. The 2024 EFF manifesto identifies jobs, infrastructure development, energy security and environmental sustainability as a central pillar of economic transformation. The EFF believes that waste must not simply be dumped. Waste must become an economic resource, waste must become energy, waste must become employment, waste must become an instrument for industrialization. The proposed biogas facility has the potential to process organic"},{"start":9881,"end":9912,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"waste, reduce landfill pressure and contribute to renewable energy generation. The project hopes a 50-ton per day biogas plant, separation at source programs and the city-wide biodegradable waste strategy. They are objectives that advance the interest of the people. However, Speaker, the EFF issue a warning. We will not support the transfer of public money as a blank check. We demand strict reporting to Council, we demand full transparency on procurement,"},{"start":9912,"end":9941,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"we demand local economy participation, we demand that township business, cooperatives and workers benefit from this project. We demand measurable job creation targets. We demand consequences for delays that have already cost the city millions. The EFF will never support a situation where public money enriches consultants while communities remain poor. The people of Johannesburg are tired of pilot projects that never become reality. They are tired of feasibility studies that never create jobs."},{"start":9941,"end":9953,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"They are tired of strategies that never change their material conditions on the ground. The EFF therefore support this item because renewable energy, environmental sustainability and job creations are necessary for the future of this city."},{"start":9953,"end":9954,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"20 seconds left."},{"start":9954,"end":9976,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Our support comes with the demand that every cent transferred must produce visible infrastructure, real jobs, energy generation and real benefits for the people of Johannesburg. The era of endless planning must come to an end, the era of implementation must begin. The era of environmental justice and economic freedom for our people must"},{"start":9976,"end":9981,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Mkasi. Councillor Mathe."},{"start":9981,"end":9989,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"from the ANC."},{"start":9989,"end":9999,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillors, is someone speaking on this? I have Councillor Mathe."},{"start":10004,"end":10009,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, who is not around."},{"start":10009,"end":10016,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"MMC Masuku."},{"start":10016,"end":10048,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much Speaker. Speaker, rightfully so, the comments from councillors are appreciated and understanding the challenges that they've raised about this biogas pilot project which remains a critical project of strategic importance on waste reduction, renewable energy generation and sustainable development. So approval of this 50 million transfer to DBSA will actually enable the completion of this project"},{"start":10048,"end":10077,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and components and it will assist the city in achieving its environmental and service delivery project objectives. Deferring it again will actually compromise the grant funding as the appointment is done and we will also lose the funding and it won't only be a 15 million shortfall. We have not actually changed the business case."},{"start":10077,"end":10111,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"It's just the revised project timelines that we've worked on and we're confident that the completion will be in July, latest December 2027. So it will not go beyond that. And I know there are concerns that councillors also raised and EISD has committed that they will submit a quarterly report to council on the project progress. So they've made that commitment and they accept that there were delays and that was due to"},{"start":10111,"end":10140,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the non-responsiveness of the two previous tenders, hence the construction could not commence. But a contractor has since been appointed by DBSA and will obviously be able to commence after approval. And the commitment has also been made that there will be a monitoring and reporting on the project milestone outcomes even to the Section 79"},{"start":10140,"end":10169,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and strengthening the project planning to minimize delays. I spoke about it earlier when I was speaking about the grant expenditure as well that this is something that already is in the space of the Office of the City Manager as a dedicate project that he is dealing with. And of course, I think we need to support this long-term environmental sustainability because this actually speaks to what we've always been saying in the implementation of alternative waste"},{"start":10169,"end":10188,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"technology in the City of Joburg and we are contributing to renewable energy generation and climate resistance. So I think it's important for us to support this report and not delay it further because further delays will then mean we are actually going to lose the funding. We ask council to approve the report. Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":10188,"end":10199,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Acting Mayor. The recommendations are on pages 8.4. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":10208,"end":10215,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Through the chair, Madam Speaker."},{"start":10215,"end":10219,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No!"},{"start":10219,"end":10240,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yo! It's like no one can spell yes or no. Can, colleagues, can I repeat myself? The recommendations are on page 8.4. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":10240,"end":10249,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Agreed! Agreed! Agreed! Yes!"},{"start":10262,"end":10267,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, the yeses have it."},{"start":10267,"end":10284,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I was told, I was, I was, I was advised the yeses have it. Councillor Christians. No, I'm not favoring anyone, I was advised. Ha!"},{"start":10284,"end":10295,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, in terms of Rule 86 and based on the quantum that is been asked for, I demand a roll call. Thank you."},{"start":10295,"end":10311,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Smit, Avant-Smith, please tell Councillor Chris, what's it? Chris, my second name, ne? Can we have the drums?"},{"start":10414,"end":10426,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Although I can see there are still others roaming outside. Okay, can we start?"},{"start":10426,"end":10431,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Those that abstain, can we see the hands?"},{"start":10456,"end":10464,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Are you good? We're done."},{"start":10464,"end":10472,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You can lower your hands. Those that says no."},{"start":10519,"end":10521,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"That's clearly his business."},{"start":10596,"end":10620,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You can drop your hands. Can we see those... How many speakers do we have here? If you're practicing, do it somewhere else. Can we see those who said yes?"},{"start":10705,"end":10715,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You are allowed to put down your hands. Can you put down your hands?"},{"start":10808,"end":10831,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Councillors. Those that abstained are four. Those that said no, 57. And those that said yes are 109."},{"start":10831,"end":10848,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The item is carried. Councillor Christians. Okay, I see they're telling you not to raise your hand."},{"start":10848,"end":10851,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Santana."},{"start":10851,"end":10860,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, would this not constitute a financial item and requires majority vote plus one? So 136 votes? Question."},{"start":10860,"end":10874,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No. No. No."},{"start":10874,"end":10875,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Yini?"},{"start":10879,"end":10884,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Christians, 84."},{"start":10884,"end":10895,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. In terms of Rule 84, I'd like to record the opposition of the Democratic Alliance, and we also reserve our right in terms of whether or not this is a financial matter. Thank you."},{"start":10895,"end":10914,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Christians. I'm not sure if Councillor Thapelo is waving at me. Councillor Kunene, MMC Kunene."},{"start":10914,"end":10924,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Councillor Santana and Councillor Christians, Madam Speaker, basketball and rugby did not win. Bafana Bafana won. Thank you."},{"start":10924,"end":10928,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Haai tog!"},{"start":10928,"end":10943,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"It's the South African colors that talks. Thank you, Councillor Christians, I know, man. Please, can we move? Hai man, Christians! Yo!"},{"start":10943,"end":10949,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'll be very quick. This is just in terms of a reply. This is my own South African colors. Thank you."},{"start":10949,"end":10961,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, thank you! Hey! I also have my South African colors. Thank you, colleagues. Can we move, STC?"},{"start":10961,"end":10968,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We're now on Item 86, and those are changes in membership of various Section 79 committees."},{"start":10968,"end":10980,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We don't have speakers. Um, so the item"},{"start":10980,"end":10989,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"it's on page 86.3. Can we then, is the item agreed to? Because there's no speakers."},{"start":10989,"end":10991,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Agreed!"},{"start":10991,"end":10992,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Danko."},{"start":10992,"end":11000,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Item 87 is a report on the review of the policy on the establishment and maintenance of ward committees."},{"start":11000,"end":11020,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Apologies, colleagues, for the record, it's on page 86.3. I made a mistake by saying 87. 86.3. Can we go to Item 87? Member in charge, Councillor J. Mofokeng. If he's not here, Councillor Nkubungu."},{"start":11020,"end":11022,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Greetings, Speaker."},{"start":11022,"end":11024,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you."},{"start":11024,"end":11053,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh, can I greet you, Speaker, and say today we should be in a jolly mood because we didn't sleep. And we, those who slept woke up very early because we're in a celebratory mood. But let me greet you, Speaker, the Deputy Executive Mayor, the first Deputy Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, the MMCs who are here,"},{"start":11053,"end":11079,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"uh, members of this council, the City Manager, Dr. Brink, and the Secretary to Council. I think he knows why I'm greeting him when I'm about to table this item. Speaker, I'm standing mandated by the Rules Committee to table this report. Thank you."},{"start":11079,"end":11088,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Can we get to Councillor Christians from the DA?"},{"start":11093,"end":11125,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, seeing this is the Rules Committee, I don't have to stand on any rule as per my chairperson. Speaker, this item is a bit of a concern. And I'll tell you why, because if you look at the problem statement, it talks to issues, but it does not talk to what the ward committee should be doing. The legislation is very clear that a ward committee is there to assist the councillor"},{"start":11125,"end":11157,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and also to expand public participation. Now if you look at public participation in the City of Johannesburg, it has been very, very low. I've quoted you figures of 0,033%. And our ward committees are failing us. And the reason for that, and many councillors on that side of the house and this side of the house would agree, once these people are elected to the ward committees, they think they're the councillor in waiting. And instead of doing what they're supposed to do to assist councillors,"},{"start":11157,"end":11186,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"they are fighting behind the councillors' backs. So this does not go far enough. It is a start, but it does not go far enough. And we're only dealing with the symptoms, we're not dealing with the root cause. So Madam Speaker, from the Democratic Alliance side, we are saying ANC, this is your policy, you got to deal with it. When we come in after November, we'll fix it. Thank you."},{"start":11186,"end":11194,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"ActionSA, Councillor Sehoai."},{"start":11194,"end":11199,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"Mm-mm, ke Sehoai."},{"start":11199,"end":11201,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I'll get it right in time, Councillor."},{"start":11201,"end":11205,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You can try again, Speaker."},{"start":11205,"end":11216,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"Ke Sehoai. Ga a buele kae?"},{"start":11216,"end":11226,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Greetings, Madam Speaker, residents of the city, guests in the gallery, fellow councillors, and our most fabulous 44."},{"start":11226,"end":11231,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Babuhlale babutshabela."},{"start":11231,"end":11255,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, this morning Bafana Bafana's victory at Estadio Monterrey in Mexico reminds me of the word Umoja. Umoja is a Swahili word meaning the spirit of togetherness. Those who are united in one spirit are saying ain't no mountain is high."},{"start":11255,"end":11262,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"Ka Sesotho re re ntja pedi ga e hlolwe ke sebata."},{"start":11262,"end":11291,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Let us draw inspiration from that victory that as a nation, when we are united in common purpose, we can achieve a lot irrespective of our political differences. And again, Speaker, with utmost sincerity, let's give another round of applause to one of our own, Apostle Tumelo Shai."},{"start":11291,"end":11309,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The only councillor in the chamber who went all the way to USA, Mexico, and Canada to represent us as the nation. Such a patriotic display at a global stage."},{"start":11309,"end":11314,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"O romile ke mang?"},{"start":11314,"end":11330,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"18. Such a patriotic display at a global stage cannot go unnoticed. Our country, as always, should come first. The City of Johannesburg should be proud."},{"start":11330,"end":11337,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Sithi khuphuka Khansela Shai, khuphuka! Khuphuka!"},{"start":11337,"end":11372,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"With that said, Madam Speaker, let me rise to speak on Item 87, which is the report on the review of the policy on the establishment and the maintenance of the ward committees. The report is quite comprehensive, and we wish it will really live to its intended purpose. However, I'm not sure of one thing when I look at it properly, the Speaker. The report is silent or quite vague on that it doesn't seem to address that which one call"},{"start":11372,"end":11406,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the elephant in the room, which are the tools of trade of the ward committee members. When we speak to a lot of them on the ground, Speaker, they have cited a lack of tools of trade as an impediment and a cause of instability in carrying out their functions. According to them, whatever that is given to them currently to support them and compared to what they are doing seems not enough, hence there are so many conflict of interest. Therefore, in addition to this, Speaker, I'd like the report"},{"start":11406,"end":11424,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"to really reflect that point. That point should really be considered. Other than that, Speaker, as ActionSA we welcome this report. I thank you."},{"start":11424,"end":11437,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Nkubungu, are you now responding as yourself and then you'll close?"},{"start":11437,"end":11439,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yeah, total dominance, Speaker."},{"start":11439,"end":11440,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Pardon?"},{"start":11440,"end":11441,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"It's dominance, Speaker."},{"start":11441,"end":11442,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay."},{"start":11442,"end":11471,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I'll be responding on behalf of my caucus and then close. Speaker, I will just greet you now and greet Councillor Nkonyeni also, who has already endorsed us for the upcoming elections. Speaker, I must say that the review of this policy has been an exercise that was"},{"start":11471,"end":11503,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"given to the task team, and there were engagements with ward councillors because ward councillors are the ones that are directly impacted by the services of the ward committees. We need to understand, Speaker, that the responsibilities of ward committees is to advise, not to assist, but to advise ward councillors and to enhance public participation. And in so saying, as I support this report,"},{"start":11503,"end":11535,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I rise to say the review of public participation policy, however, has to do with a clear message: this policy must not become another document that looks good on paper, but fails when it's supposed to be implemented. The report itself acknowledges that residents have repeatedly raised concerns about poor communication, weak feedback mechanism, lack of accountability, inadequate support of ward committees, and the failure of community inputs to influence actual service delivery."},{"start":11535,"end":11566,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I wish to raise these points. It is important when we adopt this report to understand these factors: ward committees are not adequately empowered. They are there, they are elected, but most of them do not get adequate empowerment. These ward committees going forward need to get annual trainings that are accredited programs to make sure that they understand what they're supposed to be doing, and when they leave their term of office, they are fully empowered"},{"start":11566,"end":11598,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"to go out there and venture into the world. Adequate digital tools of connectivity, clear performance monitoring systems that will be evaluated and monitored, stronger involvement with municipal planning processes to understand what is happening. It is also important, Speaker, to also note that if ward committees do not have clear KPIs that are understood by ward councillors, it will be very difficult for them to work for the councillors that they're supposed to be assisting"},{"start":11598,"end":11633,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"by being advisors to. So these clear KPIs must be also known to everyone, and they should also reflect on what needs to happen to enhance, which is their major responsibility, is to make sure that public participation and representation of those sectors in making sure that they are involved in the running of governance in the wards. Service delivery response targets, they should know about them, public-facing dashboards showing commitments and progress, and mandatory feedback reports after consultations."},{"start":11633,"end":11665,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I don't want to be long, but I say public participation must improve service delivery. And if ward committees are not at the key of that service delivery, then they become futile. We have called many community meetings, and you would find that the participation of these ward committees is very minimal and there's no monitoring mechanism. And there are concerns from the community that they do not see these ward committees, and then you wonder which sectors that they are representing."},{"start":11665,"end":11696,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"So with this revised policy, I think it will be easy to manage these ward committees better and to see how to improve their capabilities and capacity, Speaker. With that, we adopt this report and we say we support this report. And Speaker, I'd like to close the debate on this item and say the African National Congress knows this report, and it's not a report of the ANC. This report was engaged with all councillors, and it went to the Rules Committee where everybody was there."},{"start":11696,"end":11728,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"It should not be tabled and labeled a report of the Rules Committee, Councillor Christians, because we were all part of these engagements. Ward councillors were given a chance to engage on this report, so it is very much unfair to grandstand and say it is a report of the African National Congress. We know that the African National Congress has more ward councillors, and yes, it will have to be theirs by default, and it will take time for that to change because we're still going to maintain these wards. Thank you very much, Speaker. Please, I rise to close this debate. Thank you."},{"start":11728,"end":11740,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Thank you, Councillor. Can we now call on the Acting Chair to close the debate? Acting Chair."},{"start":11740,"end":11743,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Total dominance. Speaker, I rise to close the debate. Thank you."},{"start":11743,"end":11755,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. Colleagues, the recommendations are on page 87.9. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":11755,"end":11757,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Agreed!"},{"start":11757,"end":11764,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, the yeses have it. Next item, STC."},{"start":11764,"end":11771,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We now proceed to Item 88, and that's the Revised Alderman Policy."},{"start":11771,"end":11778,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Nkubungu."},{"start":11778,"end":11781,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Greetings, Speaker. I..."},{"start":11781,"end":11785,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I understand that this surname you'll never be able to pronounce it."},{"start":11785,"end":11813,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"It's Councillor Nkubungu. Eh, I rise to table the report on item 86, 88 on the revised Alderman Policy. Speaker, this report has been dragged for a very long time, and I'm glad it finally came to council, and I hope we note it and the implementation of this report starts eh as soon as possible. It has been long overdue. Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":11813,"end":11829,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Acting Chair. Can we go to Action SA? Councillor Van Wyk, has he arrived? Thank you. Prof."},{"start":11829,"end":11856,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I think if there's a man in this council that is always here, it's me. I don't run around. Colleagues, can I can I greet you, Speaker, as well as the Deputy Executive Mayor and all colleagues in this house? Maybe, Speaker, just to start off with, we know the mistake that our colleague has made, but to say to the residents of Johannesburg"},{"start":11856,"end":11889,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"that they should vote for Action SA. This is the time to know that Action can make it. It's only Action that will be able to do it. I am cognizant of that, and I know that will happen because I'm committed. Let me start with a quote. An Alderman Policy, when properly structured, is not about elitism or entitlement, but about recognizing and recognition of exceptional public service and preserving institutional memory."},{"start":11889,"end":11923,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Action SA supports this Alderman Policy before council as a necessary and principled mechanism to recognize distinguished public service within the City of Johannesburg. The support is grounded in the belief that recognition of long and exceptional services is not elitism, as I said, but an important part of strengthening institutional culture, preserving democratic memory, and honoring those who have contributed meaningfully to the development and stability of local government."},{"start":11923,"end":11955,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The Alderman Policy, when guided by clear, fair, and transparent criteria, provides council with a structured way to recognize such a service with ensuring accountability and integrity. Therefore, Speaker, Action SA therefore supports the policy as a contribution to strengthening institutional respect, continuity, and democratic governance in the City of Johannesburg. So, I want to state at on from from this angle, Speaker,"},{"start":11955,"end":11977,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"that when this policy is implemented properly, it will then give a message to the city or people of Johannesburg that people with long service are not put one side. They are acknowledged because they build the foundations correctly. And therefore, we approve this particular policy. Thank you."},{"start":11977,"end":11990,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Prof. DA, Councillor Christians."},{"start":11990,"end":12021,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, Speaker, and greetings to the house once again. Speaker, this policy is in place. The review of it was basically semantics because ultimately it was a matter of interpretation and implementation. Already at the beginning of this year, we could have had Aldermen already. We could have had Honorary Aldermen as well. But"},{"start":12021,"end":12050,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"unfortunately, we had to delay the process of that because of interpretation. Now, it's quite interesting that we get told that we are grandstanding, but this is grandstanding because nothing has changed in this policy. The core of this policy is the determination of the points. When I stood up a year ago and agreed to this policy, it was very clear."},{"start":12050,"end":12081,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Annette Deppe sitting behind me has served four terms. That means, in terms of this, she would have served 20 years in office. That means 20 points. Quite simple. The math is right there in front of us, 1.4. For every 10 years she served, gives her an additional two points. That means 24 points. She's already an Alderman. Congratulations."},{"start":12081,"end":12110,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Chair, for some of those who are not here, one from your own party, who served most of his time, I think it's the Eastern Cape or is it now KZN? It's that border place. He would have also automatically qualified, even though he served majority outside of Johannesburg. But remember, serving outside of Johannesburg just means you bring experience into Johannesburg. That's all it means."},{"start":12110,"end":12134,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And he would have been an Alderman already, but we're still waiting because of interpretation. The late The late Councillor Martin Williams. This caucus was waiting for this to come through so that we can now approach you, Speaker. Because when a councillor is late or is no longer, we have to nominate, and we'll be nominating."},{"start":12134,"end":12136,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We can't hear you."},{"start":12136,"end":12165,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Sorry, Speaker, I'm getting a bit emotional. He is a late councillor like our previous Chair. He, just like Councillor Deppe, would have served his time. He's got more than 24 points already. So we, as a caucus, will be nominating him for Honorary Aldermanship. And that was the problem. It was just a matter of whether the Speaker understood the difference between her office's responsibility"},{"start":12165,"end":12191,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"or a nomination. That's all we had to do when Councillor Jacques Hoon requested from another municipality that please look at my points. His mistake was that he nominated himself instead of waiting for the Office of the Speaker. And the nomination is for those who are not councillors, who are not councillors. So Speaker,"},{"start":12191,"end":12213,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and Chair of Chairs, and Secretary, I see they now given you that task, Secretary to Council. Please, we've got August. Let us do the ceremonies. There's enough time for us to do the math and see in this house the number of councillors that qualify. I thank you."},{"start":12213,"end":12216,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Dankie, Christians."},{"start":12216,"end":12239,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"UDM, Councillor Zigebe. I'm not sure whether I'm seeing right or not, but it seems like it's only men, and especially men from some one side, that's moving up and down. Thank you, Councillor Zigebe."},{"start":12239,"end":12272,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Good day, Speaker. We must begin by acknowledging the extraordinary patience and hard work of the Rules Committee, the Office of the Speaker, Councillor Affairs, and every member who contributed to this process. This policy first came before the Rules Committee in March 2022. Since then, it has been referred to political caucuses, subjected to benchmarking, scrutinized for legal compliance, considered by a special task team, reformatted, and repeatedly circulated for further input. For more than four years, the committee has listened, amended, and accommodated."},{"start":12272,"end":12294,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"It has taken seriously every concern raised, including compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act and aligns with the city's approved policy framework. Speaker, Johannesburg currently has no formal policy through which it can honor councillors who have rendered exceptional and distinguished service to this institution. This policy corrects that gap. It establishes transparent criteria"},{"start":12294,"end":12302,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Zigebe, please, apologies. Councillor Christians."},{"start":12302,"end":12315,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, with due respect to Councillor Zigebe, he's misleading this house. We have got an Alderman Policy in place, which does exactly what he says is not there. Can he please retract that? Thank you."},{"start":12315,"end":12320,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Zigebe, can you continue?"},{"start":12320,"end":12323,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You have had your time, and you should read the report."},{"start":12323,"end":12324,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, go to your"},{"start":12324,"end":12326,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, including compliance with the"},{"start":12326,"end":12335,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Zigebe and Councillor Christians. Councillor, please continue on your speech, and Councillor Christians."},{"start":12335,"end":12365,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This establishes transparent criteria, a points-based assessment, certificates of service, Honorary Aldermanship, and a Scroll of Honor for councillors who have left a lasting legacy. It also protects the integrity of the honor by allowing council to revoke the title where misconduct, criminal conduct, or behavior bringing the municipality into disrepute is established. Importantly, the report confirms that approval and implementation carry no financial implications"},{"start":12365,"end":12406,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"for this city. Yet the opposition has taken this committee from pillar to post at every stage. They demanded another referral, another delay, another round of consultation, another reconsideration. But after all these years, what alternative have they placed before council? We don't know. They have offered no competing policy, no superior criteria, no practical mechanism for recognizing institutional service. Their contribution has been delay without direction and criticism without an alternative. We cannot continue reopening a process simply because some parties are more comfortable postponing decisions than taking responsibility for them."},{"start":12406,"end":12407,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"50 seconds."},{"start":12407,"end":12414,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This policy is not about rewarding political loyalty. It is about preserving institutional memory, recognizing exceptional public service, and honoring those who have served."},{"start":12414,"end":12425,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, just hold on. We're holding your time. We're holding your time. You have 50 seconds. Councillor Christians."},{"start":12425,"end":12442,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, this is the second time Councillor Zigebe is misleading this house. No political party asked for a referral of this; it was done by the Speaker's Office. Thank you."},{"start":12442,"end":12444,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Zigebe, please continue."},{"start":12444,"end":12458,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The committee has done its work, the policy has been thoroughly considered, the time for delay has passed. We support the report and recommend that council approve the revised Alderman Policy. If the shoe fits, it will fit and go."},{"start":12458,"end":12473,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Hey, Councillors. Thank you, Councillor Zigebe. Councillor Councillor Nkubungu. Member in charge, Acting Member in charge, please."},{"start":12473,"end":12502,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. We should not be catching feelings. We should be in a celebratory mood because finally, this policy has come to council, and I believe that it is in a way I believe that it is in a way that it should have been from the onset. We have delayed this policy for a very long time, Speaker, and it is time that it comes to council as revised as it is,"},{"start":12502,"end":12536,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and implementation starts. Yes, implementation of this policy has been delayed. Engagement started in 2022 in the Rules Committee, and we have been debating on minor issues. It has been going back to caucuses for further scrutiny and analysis. But at the end of the day, today should be about us all saying we did it together. We should not be exchanging words or scoring points about this policy, but at the end of the day, this is our policy, and we should be celebrating that for the first time the City of Johannesburg will have this policy implemented."},{"start":12536,"end":12556,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Implementation of this policy must not be delayed, Speaker. We have many people that are waiting to be honored, and we should do likewise. So, on behalf of the African National Congress, Speaker, we do hope that this council notes and accepts this policy for it to be implemented as soon as possible. Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":12556,"end":12567,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Councillor. Can we then close the debate? Because you ended off by"},{"start":12567,"end":12568,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker!"},{"start":12568,"end":12570,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You ended off by saying the ANC, so please."},{"start":12570,"end":12610,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I want to raise to the attention of this house that this policy needs to be amended because when we were dealing with it, we did not have the position of the Deputy Executive Mayor. So, when we talk about the point scoring, we need to also amend on the part of inclusion of the Deputy Executive Mayor on that policy so that it totally complies. So, I would like the house to note this report with the amendment of 5.3 to include the position of the Deputy Executive Mayor. I therefore close this report. Thank you."},{"start":12610,"end":12614,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you to you, Member in charge."},{"start":12614,"end":12646,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Following the right process. There's an amendment. It should be given to you in writing. If you have not received it, it falls away. Before, if you have received it, we should first be asking, do we accept the amendment? If the amendment is accepted, then we go into the amended one, or else we fall to the substantive report. Thank you."},{"start":12646,"end":12705,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I'm trying to check."},{"start":12705,"end":12723,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Just hold on, we've recognized you."},{"start":12723,"end":12741,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Meantime, Chair of Chairs. Just hold on, Chair of Chairs. Sorry."},{"start":12741,"end":12869,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, just have patience for two minutes."},{"start":12869,"end":12894,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Colleagues, Chair of Chairs, we'll give you an opportunity, and then we'll tell you exactly what we are going to do legally. Or do you want us to first tell you that legally? Chair of Chairs, your hand was up."},{"start":12894,"end":12926,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, Speaker, I was raising my hand to request for time, not necessarily to speak on the item. But I, however, went to my other councillors, seeing that we sort of have a bit of a consensus around the Alderman Policy. So I was lobbying my other councillors around that matter without even knowing how you're going to legally take that matter. But we had deliberated before I was told to come back to my seat."},{"start":12926,"end":12954,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"But with due respect, I see no big turf because we kind of agree on a certain term, although I was given a very strong pushback around adhering and following the rules and the laws to the fullest, which I agree also. I just thought that today is a very peaceful day because Bafana Bafana won, and perhaps we'll agree with one another, you know? Thank you very much."},{"start":12954,"end":12985,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, there's two things, Councillor Christians. There's two things. But to all the Rules Committee members, there's two things. There's one, that we can ask, as it's a peaceful day, we can ask for the amendments to come, and we read it into record together. But we also have the issue, Chair of Chairs, that the Rules Committee"},{"start":12985,"end":13020,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"should be agreeing on it, and from what you are saying, Rules Committee is probably agreeing on it. But if we take it back, remember, as per the calendar of yesterday, we were saying we're only coming back in August. So what we can do is we can do this and then just have a special sitting for that item. No, let's hear what the Rules Committee says. Thank you, Councillor Christians."},{"start":13020,"end":13026,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Chair. Can we then ask that the Rules Committee have five minutes just to meet quickly?"},{"start":13026,"end":13057,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No problem. No problem, we can do that. That was the two options I gave. I don't know why others were saying, \"Oh.\" Thank you, Councillor Christians. It's 13:44. If you take your time quickly, we have the discussion so that we can go for lunch. Rules Committee members, Councillor Zigebe, Councillor Christians,"},{"start":13057,"end":13358,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Chair of Chairs, and all others of Rules, Councillor Cherry, Councillor Van Wyk. There's two EFF councillors that I know. Can we do that quickly?"},{"start":13358,"end":13376,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, we can be settled."},{"start":13376,"end":13398,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can we be seated? Councillors, can we be seated? Who asked for the time to go out? Councillor Christians, you asked for the time, and then we will get the Member in charge to report."},{"start":13398,"end":13401,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Chair. Chair, the Member in charge will be reporting back."},{"start":13401,"end":13407,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Member in charge, can you report back?"},{"start":13407,"end":13440,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Noting the developments that arose, we felt, as the Rules Committee, that it is proper for this policy to go through as it is. We withdraw the amendment, and then the issue of the Deputy Executive Mayor will be implemented in the next term. Currently, we continue with the policy as it is, and we ask council to approve the revised policy as it is. Thank you."},{"start":13440,"end":13475,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, colleagues. We do it that way. We have reached consensus on it. Colleagues, it's 13:50. Oh, sorry, colleagues. The recommendations is on page 87.9. Is the item 88.3, sorry. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":13475,"end":13479,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes!"},{"start":13479,"end":13509,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The yeses have it. Thank you. Colleagues, it's 13:51. I would ask that we go for lunch. Or we can push the elevated ones, and then we go for lunch. Thank you. There's not a lot to push."},{"start":13509,"end":13524,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We're now on item 90, and that is Request for Exemption of Development Contributions. Those are Bulk Engineering Services Contributions for Thangani, sorry, Thanganani Mega City Development."},{"start":13524,"end":13538,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. Councillor O. Matabane from Action SA."},{"start":13538,"end":13540,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Greetings once"},{"start":13540,"end":13543,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Why do you have two mics on, Councillor Matabane?"},{"start":13543,"end":13544,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I don't know what happened."},{"start":13544,"end":13546,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you."},{"start":13546,"end":13581,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Greetings to you, greetings to councillors in the house, but most importantly to the residents of the City of Johannesburg. Speaker, I rise to speak on item 90. And as Action SA, Speaker, we believe that this project presents an opportunity for a significant development within our city, and it will contribute positively to addressing the housing needs of our people. But most importantly, it creates opportunities for people from different income groups to access affordable housing,"},{"start":13581,"end":13610,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We are delighted that the, that more residents will have the opportunity to live in dignified homes while the city will also benefit. As ActionSA, we support and approve this report. However, we urge the department to ensure that South Africans are the primary beneficiaries of this mega project. We will closely monitor its implementation to ensure that transparency, accountability and that in, and that the intended benefits reach communities."},{"start":13610,"end":13637,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I would also want to inform everyone that our Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Xolani Khumalo was found not guilty. And this shows that ActionSA, and this shows that ActionSA has a credible and ethical leaders that work for communities. With that being said, on the 4th of November, vote ActionSA. I thank you."},{"start":13637,"end":13645,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Leshilo from the EFF."},{"start":13645,"end":13648,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":13648,"end":13651,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"Ke go leboge, ke dumedisha"},{"start":13651,"end":13652,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"all councillors of EFF"},{"start":13652,"end":13659,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"and badudi ba Johannesburg ka bophara. Ke re ke kgopela ka di 4 tša November le votele EFF."},{"start":13659,"end":13686,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And then, Speaker, the Economic Freedom Fighters support this report because we support the delivery of quality housing to the people of Johannesburg, particularly the working class communities of Diepsloot who have waited far long for these decent housing opportunities. The Tanganani Mega City project has potential to deliver more than 10,000 housing opportunities,"},{"start":13686,"end":13710,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"including RDPs, FLISP, social housing units together with clinics, community facilities and supporting infrastructure. This is precisely the kind of integrated human settlement our people need. However, Speaker, while we support the exemption, we must not ignore the bigger concern. The report itself confirms that this project, this project"},{"start":13710,"end":13736,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"has its roots in agreements dating back more than a decade. Yes, many residents are still waiting for the housing opportunities that were promised. The real question is not whether council should approve the exemption. The real question is why project is, sorry, yet many residents are still waiting for this housing project opportunities."},{"start":13736,"end":13739,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"Theletsa, o tlogele go no sega. Ga o sa tsebe go sega ge?"},{"start":13739,"end":13763,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Opportunities that were promised. The real question is not whether the council should approve the exemption. The real question is why project of this importance take so long for this to translate into houses on the ground. The EFF has consistently urged the access to land and housing is the fundamental pillar of dignity and economic freedom."},{"start":13763,"end":13793,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Our policy position is clear. The state must play an active role in providing affordable, well-located housing, integrated human settlement for the poor and the working class. Speaker, we note that the infrastructure has been funded through public grant and that the exemption is partially motivated by the need of, and to avoid double charging for infrastructure already funded through public resources, public resources."},{"start":13793,"end":13817,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"In principle, this is the reasonable, this is reasonable. However, council must ensure that public resources are protected and that every rand invested delivers value to residents. We therefore support the report. We call for the stronger oversight, accelerated implementation and regular progress reporting to council."},{"start":13817,"end":13831,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The people of Diepsloot do not need more agreements and resolutions. They need more houses, services and visible progress. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you."},{"start":13831,"end":13850,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. Is the Speaker allowed to say, vote City of Johannesburg, vote for the Speaker? Councillor Khumalo from the African National Congress."},{"start":13850,"end":13852,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Oh, there you are."},{"start":13852,"end":13869,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Oh, thank you very much, Speaker. Greetings to you. Greetings to the Deputy Executive Mayor, Councillor Loyiso Masuku, Chief Whip of Council, Councillor Chauke, Chair of Chairs, Councillor Marema. Especial greetings to the Ward 63 residents."},{"start":13869,"end":13872,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Sanibonani bahlali."},{"start":13872,"end":13890,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Fellow councillors. Speaker, allow me to join the chorus and congratulate Bafana Bafana for reaching the knockout stage in the, for the first time in the history of South African football. Well done, boys. Another history will be made next week when they beat Canada."},{"start":13890,"end":13894,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Akusiyo upelepele ongazibabela. Woi woi Bafana Bafana, woi woi."},{"start":13894,"end":13897,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Woi woi!"},{"start":13897,"end":13928,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, the report does not introduce a new policy, but strengthens our legal and governance framework to ensure that a strategic housing project proceeds lawfully, efficiently, and without exposing the city to financial or intergovernmental risk. Approving exemption ensures we deliver housing at scale while upholding law, protecting public funds, and maintaining strong partnership across government."},{"start":13928,"end":13962,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Requesting for council to approve a blanket exemption from the payment of all development contributions, including bulk engineering services contribution for the Tanganani Mega City project in its entirety. Purpose is strengthening and finalizing Tanganani bulk service contribution, contributions exemptions report before council approval, support major housing development aimed at delivering thousands of housing units."},{"start":13962,"end":13992,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The project is a large-scale mixed-use housing development, RDP, FLISP, social or rental housing. It contributes directly to addressing Johannesburg housing backlog, delivering integrated inclusive settlements, advancing national housing policy. Infrastructure is already funded through public grants, USDG and ISUPG."},{"start":13992,"end":14019,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The agreement clearly states that the development must not pay bulk services contribution. Risk of not approving: possible legal challenges against the city, breach of tripartite agreement, intergovernmental dispute, delays to housing delivery, negative audit of Treasury or fundings. Thank you very much, Speaker."},{"start":14019,"end":14032,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Bodenstein from the DA."},{"start":14032,"end":14034,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Mevrou die Speaker,"},{"start":14034,"end":14036,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"batho ba Johannesburg."},{"start":14036,"end":14061,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The DA supports subsidized housing for poor and working-class families in Diepsloot. What we do not support is using the poor as a cover for sweetheart deals benefiting politically connected developers. Because while a family living in a shack needs a home, a developer needs profit, and those are not the same thing. Yet this report treats them as if they are."},{"start":14061,"end":14089,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"If this item is truly about helping the poor, separate the subsidized housing component and let's vote for it today. But that is not what the ANC has brought before council. Instead, we are being asked to approve blanket exemptions worth millions, covering commercial developments and sectional title units. And let us not hide behind polite language. Let us name exactly who this benefits: Valumax."},{"start":14089,"end":14116,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This council is being asked to hand over a massive financial windfall to a mega-developer under the guise of helping the poor. And that raises a simple question: Who really benefits? Because every time the ANC tells us something is for the poor, a politically connected developer walks away smiling. Johannesburg residents know the stories. They know the investigative reports."},{"start":14116,"end":14128,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"They know the reputation of the Alex Mafia and its political godfather, Paul Mashatile. They know exactly how this network operates."},{"start":14128,"end":14128,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"With massive state"},{"start":14128,"end":14129,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"O tšhubile matekwane!"},{"start":14129,"end":14134,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Bodenstein. Acting Mayor."},{"start":14134,"end":14138,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"O tšhubile matekwane!"},{"start":14138,"end":14139,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":14139,"end":14142,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues."},{"start":14142,"end":14163,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. The councillor is out of order on the use of the word political mafia. He has no proof or evidence of what he's saying. He must withdraw the word mafia, but he can speak about our Deputy President. He's doing very well, but he must remove the word mafia."},{"start":14163,"end":14168,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, please do that."},{"start":14168,"end":14173,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, with due respect, I can withdraw, but it is in public domain."},{"start":14173,"end":14177,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, unconditionally. Unconditionally."},{"start":14177,"end":14179,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Withdraw wena man! Withdraw wena!"},{"start":14179,"end":14183,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And if you, if you look at your leaders in the back,"},{"start":14183,"end":14184,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You are a racist! Go out, you racist!"},{"start":14184,"end":14185,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"they tell you to do."},{"start":14185,"end":14186,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I withdraw, ma'am."},{"start":14186,"end":14188,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You racist, go out!"},{"start":14188,"end":14189,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I withdraw, ma'am."},{"start":14189,"end":14194,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Be quiet, colleagues. If you, if you look at your leaders, what they're telling you to do,"},{"start":14194,"end":14195,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I, I've withdrawn, ma'am."},{"start":14195,"end":14197,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"you, you withdraw unconditionally."},{"start":14197,"end":14198,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I, I withdraw unconditionally."},{"start":14198,"end":14202,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yeah. Thank you. Withdraw, jong."},{"start":14202,"end":14203,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Donkie."},{"start":14203,"end":14206,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"They know exactly how this network operates."},{"start":14206,"end":14212,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Hey guys, this side! Hey!"},{"start":14212,"end":14216,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Sizomguqa simkhiphele phandle."},{"start":14216,"end":14250,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillors, councillors. Chair of Chairs, help me. Please help me, Chair of Chairs. Colleagues, can I allow him to speak? He has withdrawn. Okay, you must... Colleagues, I don't want to scream. I'll wait for everybody to keep quiet."},{"start":14250,"end":14258,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I'll wait for all of you to keep quiet. Councillor Bodenstein."},{"start":14258,"end":14259,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, ma'am."},{"start":14259,"end":14272,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The Acting Mayor has asked that you withdraw political mafia. Can you withdraw political mafia?"},{"start":14272,"end":14277,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The, the term was Alex Mafia and I withdraw unconditionally."},{"start":14277,"end":14297,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Hey, colleagues! I will remove, ne? I will remove! And those that are chorusing, I will remove you. Thank you, Councillor Bodenstein."},{"start":14297,"end":14325,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. The people of Johannesburg know exactly how this network operates. When massive state contracts and municipal concessions magically flow into a cozy inner circle of preferred developers. When those exact same developers stand to save millions through a sudden midnight decision of this council, residents are entitled to look at the Deputy President's lifestyle, look at this report, and ask exactly who is paying for what. Then there is the urgency."},{"start":14325,"end":14356,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Urgent? This agreement has existed since 2025. For a year, nobody touched it. For a year, nobody cared. Now suddenly, in the dying hours of the financial year, council is expected to rubber-stamp it. The ANC's governing model is simple: sleep on the problem for 12 months, and sneak in this report at the 11th hour, and then elevate it to benefit a connected few. Madam Speaker, perhaps the real urgency is political."},{"start":14356,"end":14385,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The ANC can see the writing on the wall. The people of Johannesburg have had enough. A competent and responsible government is coming, and there are those who seem desperate to get certain deals signed, sealed, and delivered before accountability arrives. That is why this council must ask questions. That is why this council must demand transparency. And that is why the DA will not be bullied into approving a blank check for politically connected interests."},{"start":14385,"end":14394,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The poor are the headline, the developers are the beneficiaries, and the taxpayers are the victims. The DA rejects this report."},{"start":14394,"end":14399,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Dankie."},{"start":14399,"end":14406,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"MMC Mabaso. MMC Mabaso."},{"start":14406,"end":14435,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, Speaker, as they sit down. Speaker, I'm, yeah, I'm seeing the councillor for the first time. Speaker, thank you very much. Greetings to yourself, the Deputy Executive Mayor, who's our Acting Mayor,"},{"start":14435,"end":14461,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the MMCs and all colleagues that are present, and the guests at the gallery. Speaker, maybe let me give a background and a context to this report so that it does not confuse councillors. This is a government project, Speaker."},{"start":14461,"end":14490,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This is a project which was initiated by the provincial government in partnership with the City of Johannesburg. The provincial government then appointed a developer. The developer which is, which has invested 250 million to bridge the infrastructure investment."},{"start":14490,"end":14524,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And that infrastructure will be handed over to the City of Johannesburg, and that is a benefit for us as the City of Johannesburg. The provincial government, in partnership with the City of Johannesburg, will deliver approximately 10,000 housing opportunities there, which is an uncontested revenue base for the City of Johannesburg, and that is a benefit for the City of Johannesburg. This development is also creating jobs for our residents, and that is a benefit"},{"start":14524,"end":14556,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"for the City of Johannesburg. We are building houses for the residents of the City of Johannesburg, and this is a benefit for the City of Johannesburg. So, the question on who is going to benefit here does not really arise because it's the City of Johannesburg that stands to benefit in this development. I'm not going to talk to the developer and the political connections and all those things because I'm from the IFP and I'm the one presenting this report here, not the ANC. I'm not a deployee of the ANC here."},{"start":14556,"end":14585,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"So I'm not going to respond to that. And I do wish to confirm that this development is for South Africans, and South Africans are going to benefit in this project. But the reason for us to bring this report on an urgent basis, Speaker, is because these houses were completed last year, Speaker."},{"start":14585,"end":14617,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And the exemption which we are requesting today in council is provided for in the development agreement. For the developer to obtain the clearance certificate, this exemption has to be given by this council so that these houses can be allocated to the approved beneficiaries. So for over seven months now, the houses have been standing there vacant. The beneficiaries are losing their bonds that were approved by the banks."},{"start":14617,"end":14646,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And the banks are threatening to pull out. So it was urgent for us as the city to intervene so that we allow those beneficiaries to access their houses. These are residents of the City of Johannesburg that we are talking about. These are the very same residents as well that would be paying the rates and taxes which would be billed by the City of Johannesburg. So it's imperative, Speaker, for this council to approve this report"},{"start":14646,"end":14654,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"so that we provide that clearance certificate to the developer for the beneficiaries to access their houses. So"},{"start":14654,"end":14675,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"yilokho nje Speaker. Sebengakusho ke abathanda ukusho abanye kodwa ke akuhlangene nakho konke lokhu okushiwoyo. Thina sihlethile abantu baseJohannesburg izindlu la ngoba siyi-department okufanele inikeze abantu baseJohannesburg izindlu. Ngifisa ke Speaker ukubongela iBafana Bafana ngomsebenzi omuhle owenzile. Ngicabanga ukuthi kufanele ngabe siyajabula sikhohlwe lezi ezinye izinkulumo. Ngiyabonga."},{"start":14675,"end":14708,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Councillor or MMC Mabaso. Colleagues, the recommendations are on pages 90.14 to 90.15. Is the item agreed to? Colleagues, the yeses have it."},{"start":14708,"end":14715,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Christians. Councillor Kyle."},{"start":14715,"end":14732,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in terms of Rule 84, I'd like to record the opposition of the Democratic Alliance and also note that the decision does not come lightly because there is missing information in this report. Thank you."},{"start":14732,"end":14736,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Christians. Okay."},{"start":14736,"end":14754,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We're on item number 91, and that is a request to conduct public participation for the proposed 50-year extension of the lease agreement in respect of Erf 1307 in Yeoville."},{"start":14754,"end":14769,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And the first speaker is Councillor K. Moatshe from ActionSA."},{"start":14769,"end":14778,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, this is Councillor C. Mohlala. I'll be speaking on this item because Councillor K. Moatshe is..."},{"start":14778,"end":14779,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"It's okay."},{"start":14779,"end":14810,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Greetings to you, greetings to the Fabulous 44 councillors, greetings to the guests in the gallery, and most importantly, greetings to the residents of the City of Johannesburg. Madam Speaker, news just in: ActionSA's mayoral candidate, Councillor Xolani Khumalo, was found not guilty at the Palm Ridge Magistrates' Court."},{"start":14810,"end":14834,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This upholds the rule of law, Madam Speaker, and this is a pain straight to the EFF. Madam Speaker, ActionSA stood by Xolani Khumalo as he faced persecution on baseless charges. Madam Speaker, this proves that ActionSA has ethical and patriotic leadership, unlike others who sing"},{"start":14834,"end":14835,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"mabahambe"},{"start":14835,"end":14870,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"before elections, then change tune before, change tune because of blue lights. We know who that is. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on item 91, request to conduct public participation for proposed 50-year extension of the lease agreement in respect of Erf 1307 in Yeoville. Madam Speaker, the extension is intended to support the continued operation and planned improvement of the Yeoville Police Station,"},{"start":14870,"end":14900,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"a critical public safety facility. Madam Speaker, this lease is of a total of 50 years, is necessary to ensure a long-term functionality and uninterrupted service delivery to the community of Yeoville and surroundings. Madam Speaker, granting this extension will allow for the continued provision of essential policing, essential policing services to the Yeoville community"},{"start":14900,"end":14919,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"through a modernized, fit-for-purpose facility. Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I would like to encourage young and old people of South Africa to vote for ActionSA come the 4th of November 2026, because only action can fix South Africa. Thank you, Madam Speaker."},{"start":14919,"end":14942,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor D. Moepi, Economic Freedom Fighters. Not available. Okay, let's go. Councillor Bolani from the African National Congress."},{"start":14942,"end":14951,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Greetings, Madam Speaker. Greeting to the Executive Mayor in absentia. Greeting to the Deputy Executive Mayor."},{"start":14951,"end":14953,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"xh","text":"Siyakubulisa Mafaku."},{"start":14953,"end":14961,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Greetings to our Chair of Chairs, Son of the Hunter, and greetings to Chief Whip Shingange in absentia."},{"start":14961,"end":14967,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Siphinde sibonge kakhulu kuwe Khansela Nkonyeni nge-confidence oyibonisile kwi-ANC."},{"start":14967,"end":14973,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, as the ANC, we welcome the report. Thank you."},{"start":14973,"end":14983,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Bolani. MMC Mabaso."},{"start":14983,"end":15010,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, Speaker. All councillors, when they stand up, they request the residents of Johannesburg to vote for their political parties, forgetting that I'm one of the mayoral candidates officially announced by my party."},{"start":15010,"end":15040,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Don't worry, you will need the very same vote, you will need it. Don't worry. Speaker, we request council to approve the report. I think the report is straightforward. We must assist as the City of Johannesburg with the continuity of providing the services to the residents of Yeoville and the residents of the City of Johannesburg. And we appreciate that there's no opposition on the report, and we ask council to approve the report. Thank you."},{"start":15040,"end":15087,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor MMC Mabaso. Colleagues, the recommendations are on pages 91.9 to 91.10. Is the item agreed to? Thank you, councillors. The item is carried. Councillors, it's 14:17. We will go for lunch, and when we come back, we will do the motion and then carry on to our other items. We come back at 45 minutes from now. So it will be 14:53."},{"start":18267,"end":18294,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Dis genoeg nou."},{"start":18294,"end":18337,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Are we all back? Or is there some of us that's still roaming outside? We are five minutes overdue. And I would also want to check our quorum."},{"start":18337,"end":18371,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh Councillor Ndlela, can we ask that you whip councillors to come in? And all the other whips from political parties, can people come in? Councillor Nkonyeni, are all your councillors in? No, by they should have been here. They shouldn't be coming, they should have been here."},{"start":18371,"end":18398,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillors of the EFF, are all your councillors here? I don't see them. Can we hit the drums again? Freedom Front Plus, are we all here? I only see two."},{"start":18398,"end":18406,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, we're only 50% at the moment. It's terrible, but uh we I think the other 50% is coming as well."},{"start":18406,"end":18430,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Is is is the DA, Councillor Avant-Smith and Councillor Masera, are they here? And you're not all here. Faeeza, please don't fool, don't fool me. Councillor I've sent Councillor."},{"start":18430,"end":18460,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Sifumba, uh-uh, you came in late, you didn't hear where I am. I was with everyone already. No, Councillor Sifumba, don't do that to me. Councillor Zigebe, have you gotten in the minorities, where are they? Councillor Cherry, the PA, where are they?"},{"start":18460,"end":18490,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I know Simonse and uh an MMC has gone. Councillor Makhuba went to look for the for the IFP. Maybe we should start where we ended."},{"start":18490,"end":18499,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Frans, is there more councillors outside?"},{"start":18499,"end":18531,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Where's Legal? There's nobody here."},{"start":18531,"end":18562,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, before we do anything, we are going to count to see if we have a quorum because I don't know why we are doing this to ourselves. It's already 3:15 and we were supposed to be back at 3:03. Can we start counting, Legal?"},{"start":18562,"end":18689,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"One, two, three."},{"start":18689,"end":18693,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Raadslid."},{"start":18693,"end":18699,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, just reporting that the Freedom Front caucus is 100% present."},{"start":18699,"end":18711,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"O, die ander 30% het gearriveer. Dankie."},{"start":18711,"end":18737,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Those who are late, please be reminded we are deducting R500 from your salary. No, no, no, I'm not joking. I'm very serious. I'm very, very serious. We said 3:03 and we are arriving and it's 20 minutes late."},{"start":18737,"end":18749,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The Speaker needs political funding."},{"start":18749,"end":18768,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, we do have a quorum. Besides those that came late, we had 139 in the house. So we are starting where we ended. STC, over to you."},{"start":18768,"end":18785,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh welcome back, councillors. We are resuming with item 7 and that is the motion that we have, and the motion is to initiate the formal declaration of Auckland Park in Johannesburg as a student precinct."},{"start":18785,"end":18806,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, we're starting with the motion and we will call on the proposer, Councillor K. Gwamanda. Colleagues, colleagues! Please. Councillor Gwamanda, you may proceed."},{"start":18806,"end":18839,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much uh Speaker. Good afternoon to yourself. Good afternoon to the Deputy Executive Mayor. Good afternoon to the members of the Mayoral Committee, political parties that are present, uh guests in the gallery and the residents in the City of Johannesburg. Madam Speaker, I rise on in terms of Rule uh 89(2),"},{"start":18839,"end":18873,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"uh tabling a motion to this Council to initiate a formal declaration of Auckland Park here in Johannesburg as a student precinct. Madam Speaker, Auckland Park has over several decades organically evolved into one of the City of Johannesburg's most significant education and knowledge nodes. The area is anchored by the University of the uh of UJ"},{"start":18873,"end":18909,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and lies in close proximity from the University of the Witwatersrand, resulting in a high uh and growing concentration of students, academic staff and related economic activities in the area. This concentration has effectively transformed Auckland Park into a functional student hub, with increased demand for accommodation, transport, retail, social infrastructure aligned um to a student population."},{"start":18909,"end":18940,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"However, despite this reality, the current zoning framework continues to classify large portions of the area as residential, which is not aligned to the uh intensity and nature of land use taking place. This misalignment has limited the development of um well-regulated, purpose-built student accommodation that has instead contributed"},{"start":18940,"end":18981,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"to the proliferation of informal and non-compliant student housing. As a result, the area is experiencing increasing pressure on municipal infrastructure, including water, electricity, waste management and road networks. Furthermore, the absence of a formally designated student precinct has resulted in fragmented urban management planning. This has led to challenges such as overcrowding, inconsistent enforcement of by-laws and heightened"},{"start":18981,"end":19012,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"safety risks affecting both students and long-term residents in the area. The current situation underscores the need for a coordinated and strategic intervention by the city to properly recognize, regulate, and support Auckland Park's evolving role in Johannesburg's knowledge economy. Madam Speaker,"},{"start":19012,"end":19040,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the motion seeks to ask this council to formally recognize Auckland Park as a student precinct, of course, with a mandate to the Department of Development Planning to initiate formal feasibility study into the declaration of Auckland Park as a designated student precinct in line with applicable nodal and spatial planning policies."},{"start":19040,"end":19059,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and to explore the establishment of a city improvement district with Auckland Park and strengthen urban management, including safety, cleaning and in public space maintenance."},{"start":19059,"end":19077,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much Councillor Gwamanda. Do we agree to the proposed motion?"},{"start":19077,"end":19091,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Can I have the seconder? Hey, Councillor Nkonyeni."},{"start":19091,"end":19093,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Dis laat in die dag."},{"start":19093,"end":19095,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Zigebe."},{"start":19095,"end":19098,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you Speaker."},{"start":19098,"end":19101,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Angazi ukhansela Nkonyeni wenzeni"},{"start":19101,"end":19104,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"in my absence. Eh, but whatever you did,"},{"start":19104,"end":19107,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"iyakulandela mfana."},{"start":19107,"end":19133,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, this motion does not ask council to impose a final outcome without consultation. It asks the city to conduct a proper feasibility study, assess infrastructure capacity and engage residents, universities, students, property owners and other affected stakeholders. It further proposes that the city explore a city improvement district to strengthen safety, cleaning and maintenance of public spaces."},{"start":19133,"end":19161,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Auckland Park must not continue growing through fragmented and reactive interventions. The city must plan for its future in a coordinated, lawful and sustainable manner. By supporting this motion, council will be supporting safer student housing, better urban management, protected residential interests and Johannesburg's broader knowledge economy. I therefore second the motion and call upon council to support it. I thank you."},{"start":19161,"end":19172,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Zigebe. DA Councillor K. Jacobs."},{"start":19172,"end":19201,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. As the ward councillor for Auckland Park, I rise to oppose this motion. Because this motion is built on a foundation that the City of Johannesburg simply cannot meet. But let me be clear about why. Firstly, the infrastructure cannot carry this. Water supply is inadequate, electricity supply is strained, roads are deteriorating."},{"start":19201,"end":19227,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Waste collection is inconsistent. These are not simply service delivery complaints, but the lived reality of people who have been patient for too long, while the city fails to maintain what already exists. The motion before us calls for densification, but it does not address the fundamental point. We need bulk infrastructure capacity first to support any of this."},{"start":19227,"end":19256,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The motion recommends technical report from City Power and Joburg Water after the fact. We are being asked to endorse a direction of travel before we even know whether the road can hold the weight. That is not planning. That is recklessness dressed in a language of development. Secondly, the city cannot enforce what it already has. Let us be clear about what it, what's already happening on the ground."},{"start":19256,"end":19281,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The vast majority of student accommodation in Auckland Park and surrounding areas is illegal. Properties are being converted, extended and operated without any building plans or zoning approvals. And what has the city done about it? Absolutely nothing. Bylaw enforcement is absent, and development planning appears to be uninterested."},{"start":19281,"end":19311,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Inspections are not happening, penalties are not being enforced, and now we're being asked to formalize and accelerate a process that the city cannot manage informally. How does granting formal student precinct fix an enforcement crisis when the city has demonstrated that it has no capacity and no political will to enforce anything? It simply gives legal cover to chaos and opens up the door for more of it."},{"start":19311,"end":19338,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thirdly, you cannot bulldoze your way out of this problem. There is another reality that this motion ignores. A significant portion of Auckland Park's built environment consists of heritage-protected properties. These properties cannot simply be demolished to make way for high-density student developments. They are protected in law, and rightfully so, because they are part of what makes Auckland Park what it is."},{"start":19338,"end":19364,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And what about the residents? Madam Speaker, perhaps what disturbs me the most about this motion is what it says and what it doesn't say about the people who actually live in Auckland Park. This motion was drafted without them. And if passed, it will reshape their neighborhood around them: their streets, their infrastructure, their safety, their quality of life, without their input."},{"start":19364,"end":19391,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Long-term residents of Auckland Park are not opposed to students, and they are not opposed to development, but they have a right to be part of the decisions that fundamentally alter the character of their community. A public participation process proposed after the motion has already passed is not community engagement. This motion imposes a vision from above and asks residents to make peace with it later."},{"start":19391,"end":19420,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The DA will not accept this approach. In closing, the DA supports legal student accommodation. The DA supports investment and economic growth. The DA supports densification where infrastructure planning and community consultation supports it. But the DA cannot support is the approve, approving development before infrastructure enforcement planning are in place to support it."},{"start":19420,"end":19426,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"For these reasons, we reject this motion."},{"start":19426,"end":19439,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Kyle. Councillor M. Bolani from the ANC."},{"start":19439,"end":19469,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Greetings, uh, Madam Speaker. Greetings again, uh, to EM Manyauza, Whip of Council in absentia, CoC, Councillor Marema, fellow councillors. Madam Speaker, allow me to, allow me to quote one of the greatest revolutionaries to walk the South African hinterlands, Commander Themba Harry Gwala:"},{"start":19469,"end":19483,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"\"Death takes the body, God takes the soul, our mind holds the memories.\" I'm raising this, Madam Speaker, it's because, uh, the SASCO branch at University of Johannesburg is named after"},{"start":19483,"end":19486,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"umntomdala, ibhubesi laseMgungundlovu,"},{"start":19486,"end":19514,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Commander Harry Gwala. As the ANC, we support the motion to declare Auckland Park, Johannesburg as a designated student precinct, aiming to integrate academia with the community of Auckland Park. Auckland Park, home to the University of Johannesburg and thousands of scholars, these vibrant suburbs require progressive urban planning to thrive."},{"start":19514,"end":19545,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"For too long, the area has suffered from reactive, fragmented development and ad-hoc zoning battles. By formally designating Auckland Park as a student precinct, we can proactively manage this vital academic hub, rather than just reacting to its growing pains. Student precincts, not as a localized, is a localized economic engineering program."},{"start":19545,"end":19574,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"High concentrations of students stimulate the growth of ancillary services such as bookstores, laundromats, dining establishments and entertainment venues. And the construction, management, conscientious operation of these precincts generate substantial direct and indirect employment to the community of Auckland Park."},{"start":19574,"end":19600,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, I would like just to give just a lecture to Councillor Jacobs to have an understanding and appreciations that as leaders, we are a product of our own upbringing. Why I'm raising this, uh, Madam Speaker, I would also like him to have read an essay by Inkosi Albert Luthuli that was written in 1961, that says \"If I Was a Prime Minister\"."},{"start":19600,"end":19623,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"There is an paragraph that speaks about the importance of education for the impoverished and the underdeveloped young people. So as the ANC, we support this motion unequivocally, without conditions. I thank you, Madam Speaker."},{"start":19623,"end":19633,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Johannes Mosehla."},{"start":19633,"end":19661,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Greetings, Speaker. Greetings to the Deputy Executive Mayor. Thanks for the opportunity to speak. The Economic Freedom Fighters rise in support of this motion. However, we propose that Auckland Park be formally declared not merely as a student precinct, but a student and health precinct. We make this proposal because planning must reflect reality."},{"start":19661,"end":19692,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And the reality is that Auckland Park has become one of Joburg's most important centers of education, health care, research, innovation and economic activity. The question before us is simple: If the people have already transformed Auckland Park into a student and health precinct, why is the city still pretending otherwise? Honorable Speaker, for years students have carried the burden of a severe accommodation crisis."},{"start":19692,"end":19720,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Many have forced, many have been forced into overcrowded communities, unsafe buildings and exploitative rental arrangements. Health care workers face similar challenges, often struggling to find affordable accommodation close to their working places. The data is clear, Speaker: within the Empire-Perth Corridor, thousands of development"},{"start":19720,"end":19752,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"applications have been approved over the years, with the majority of investment concentrated in Auckland Park, Melville and Brixton. The overwhelming pattern is not greenfield development; it is the conversion of existing properties into student accommodation, shared housing and health care-related accommodations. Today, the city is simply catching up with the reality."},{"start":19752,"end":19781,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"But let's be clear: the EFF will not support a model where students, health care workers and long-standing residents become victims of property speculation and profiteering. The declaration is not only good for students and health care workers; it is good for the city's economy. The city has already invested significantly in this precinct through the upgrading of Brixton Water Tower, the development of the Brixton Multipurpose Center,"},{"start":19781,"end":19810,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and the public environment improvements that have enhanced walkability, public safety and accessibility. These investments have laid the foundation for growth. When development is formalized and properly regulated, property values increase, investment confidence grows, building activity expands, and the city's rates and services revenue base strengthens. More students and health care workers"},{"start":19810,"end":19832,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"living closer to institutions and hospitals means more economic activity, more support for local businesses, more jobs, more municipal revenue that can be reinvested into communities. Firstly, Speaker, the city must develop a comprehensive accommodation strategy."},{"start":19832,"end":19834,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"50 seconds left."},{"start":19834,"end":19837,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"Bua."},{"start":19837,"end":19843,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, we as the EFF support the motion. Thank you."},{"start":19843,"end":19858,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. The proposer, Councillor Gwamanda."},{"start":19858,"end":19867,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, is your hand up or are you blocking the sun? Yes, Councillor. I can't hear you."},{"start":19867,"end":19876,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Oh. Greetings, Madam Speaker. Even us as ActionSA, we did submit on this, Speaker. We gave one of the officials there."},{"start":19876,"end":19878,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Who was the, who's the official you gave your name to?"},{"start":19878,"end":19882,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh, we gave it to Mr. Frans."},{"start":19882,"end":19885,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, Frans doesn't, Frans doesn't deal with names."},{"start":19885,"end":19887,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Doesn't deal with names?"},{"start":19887,"end":19892,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No. You send it, you send it to the Speaker's Office. Frans doesn't deal with names."},{"start":19892,"end":19893,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Oh."},{"start":19893,"end":19895,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Wena, you are coming through the back door."},{"start":19895,"end":19897,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"ts","text":"Kha dzule fhasi."},{"start":19897,"end":19900,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You can speak, but you come through the back door."},{"start":19900,"end":19902,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, thanks. Councillor Mohlala will speak on our"},{"start":19902,"end":19903,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mohlala?"},{"start":19903,"end":19906,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, yes, yes."},{"start":19906,"end":19911,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, thank you. Councillor Mohlala, can you speak?"},{"start":19911,"end":19914,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":19914,"end":19943,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Good afternoon to you, good afternoon to councillors. Madam Speaker, um, uh, this motion, Madam Speaker, I understand if the DA cannot understand, and especially it's a precinct filled with universities, and we know their former leader has never went to a university. So we understand if they"},{"start":19943,"end":19970,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"did not agree to this motion. However, Speaker, we are not there. Madam Speaker, yeah, he has two masters. So, Madam Speaker, um, declaring Auckland Park, um, Johannesburg as a student precinct can provide several social, economic and development benefits such as economic growth. Madam Speaker, I cannot go through the list, mara I'll just mention one-one of each, Madam Speaker."},{"start":19970,"end":19996,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This is to create of job, um, jobs for local residents through business serving students, Madam Speaker. Secondly, is to improve safety and security, enhancing policing, CCTV surveillance and street lighting, Madam Speaker. Uh, this is again, Madam Speaker, for a better infrastructure to improve internet connectivity and digital infrastructure. Uh, Madam Speaker,"},{"start":19996,"end":20025,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"this again, Madam Speaker, is to increase access to education, which the DA has, especially their leader, former leader, has small-nyana issues about because this speaks about the universities around the student precinct, Madam Speaker. So this is to support students attending institutions such as University of Johannesburg and nearby colleges. You can ask Steenhuisen; I don't think he knows the door."},{"start":20025,"end":20052,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"So, Madam Speaker, this is to encourage a lifelong learning and skills development, um, urban regeneration, revitalization of neglected properties and public spaces. Madam Speaker, as I conclude, the declaration of Auckland Park as a student precinct would position the area as a dedicated education and innovation hub and promoting economic development,"},{"start":20052,"end":20065,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"urban renewal, improve safety and enhance educational opportunity while benefiting students, residents and businesses and other broader City of Johannesburg. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker."},{"start":20065,"end":20081,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Um, okay, we are now ready to vote. Oh, proposer. Sorry, eish. Apologies, Councillor Gwamanda."},{"start":20081,"end":20111,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Not a problem, Madam Speaker. Thank you very much. I think, Madam Speaker, it would be prudent for me to extend my humble apologies to the ward councillor of the targeted area for not having been able to understand his constituents enough to bring a motion of this nature in their best interest. So,"},{"start":20111,"end":20118,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, there's two major developments."},{"start":20118,"end":20121,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Gwamanda, your time is going."},{"start":20121,"end":20156,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"There's two major developments, Madam Speaker. One of which is the Brixton Water Tower project; the other one is the Hursthill Water Tower upgrades. So we are not proposing that Auckland Park be declared a student precinct without consideration of bulk infrastructure and the challenges that the community has faced for the longest of time. This is evidence-based planning that will assist the city in its turnaround strategy to a developmental agenda."},{"start":20156,"end":20172,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, I'd like to propose that council support this particular motion as a service delivery motion. I thank you."},{"start":20172,"end":20200,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. We now close the debate. Um, before we close, Deputy Executive Mayor."},{"start":20200,"end":20231,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, uh, on behalf of the MMC. Um, we think that this is a critical, um, motion. Student accommodation is a challenge; in fact, it is a crisis, um, that does require the attention of council. And I think that the proposer has, um, and the seconder have applied themselves to actually deal with the issues of a localized economy"},{"start":20231,"end":20261,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and ensure that we integrate student life with residents. Um, and I'm speaking from experience. I am a former student, a graduate of UJ Bunting Road, a graduate of UJ Kingsway Campus, and have also suffered with challenges of lack of student accommodation and integration into the community in its own. Student life is one of the most critical and important"},{"start":20261,"end":20291,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"periods of your life, and I think some decisions that we take as council are important. We are not imposing a final outcome, as I understand the motion. The motion seeks to conduct a proper feasibility study and assess infrastructure capability and engage residents, universities, students and property owners, and of course the health workers who are also affected, as Councillor Mosehla rightfully put it."},{"start":20291,"end":20321,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And I think what is important is that we understand the motion as the executive to propose that the city explore a city improvement district just to strengthen the maintenance of public spaces. Auckland Park is continuously growing, that is a fact, and has got this fragmentation, and the city obviously, definitely, yes, councillors, has to plan for it. And as the executive, we believe that by supporting this motion, we will be supporting safer student accommodation,"},{"start":20321,"end":20351,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"uh, better urban management, protected residential interest, and of course, um, legalize the student accommodation in the area. That is why we will want to support this precinct. In principle, we don't have any challenge. And because this is clear: it is to have a feasibility study and assessment. Um, it is not imposing a final outcome, and there will still be stakeholders"},{"start":20351,"end":20362,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"who will be consulted, and after the consultation, it must still come back to council for approval. So on behalf of the executive, we do support the motion, Madam Speaker."},{"start":20362,"end":20401,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, colleagues. I know that we will see hands coming up, but we are saying the proposer should have also just included the executive, so we did need to have the view of the executive. I thank you. We will now go to the vote. Uh, those who, those who oppose, or those, those, those who, those who abstain. Sorry."},{"start":20401,"end":20477,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, you can drop your hands. Those who say no."},{"start":20477,"end":20483,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"ACDP ya rekisa."},{"start":20483,"end":20600,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Hey councillors, whoever is that, don't, don't, don't. And I know where it comes from, because I can see it on the screen. Councillor, you are fined a thousand rand."},{"start":20600,"end":20651,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, you may lower your hands. Thank you. You may lower your hand at the back."},{"start":20651,"end":20677,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We have four people that abstained. We have 58 that said no. We have 104 that said yes. The item is carried. Councillor Harris."},{"start":20677,"end":20693,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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."},{"start":20693,"end":20702,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, Councillor Christians."},{"start":20702,"end":20713,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. In terms of Rule 84, please record the opposition of the Democratic Alliance to this motion. Thank you."},{"start":20713,"end":20743,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Christians, I, and I'm just asking, we need to, me and you need to sit down and you explain this rule to me. We first vote and then we say no, then we come in with the rule. I need to understand it. You need to educate me on that. I really want to be educated on it. I didn't ask for you. And I'll call your name out and you'll tell me again, please don't do it."},{"start":20743,"end":20747,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillors, can we go to the next item?"},{"start":20747,"end":20781,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillors, we are back to Item 1. And the first item is Performance Assessment Report for the Community Development Department for the 2025/2026 financial year for the period January to March 2026, read with Item 2, which is the Performance Assessment Report for the Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo for the 2025/2026 financial year for the period January to March 2026, also read with Item 3, which is the Performance Assessment Report for the Johannesburg City Theaters for the 2025/2026"},{"start":20781,"end":20810,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"25-26 financial year for the period January to March 2026 and the above items read together with item four, which is an oversight report of the Section 79 Community Development Committee of the on the 2025-26 third quarter performance assessment report of the Department of Community Development, Johannesburg City Theaters and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo for the period from January to March 2026."},{"start":20810,"end":20822,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, STC. Member in charge, Councillor J. Mokome."},{"start":20822,"end":20845,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker, and good afternoon. Can I uphold the protocols that have been upheld by the previous speakers. Madam Speaker, congratulations are in order for Bafana Bafana."},{"start":20845,"end":20849,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"Re tla dula re thabile ka nako tsotlhe."},{"start":20849,"end":20853,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Happy people, happy nation."},{"start":20853,"end":20862,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"Re thakhilwe kudu kudu. Thobela."},{"start":20862,"end":20889,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"But Madam Speaker, life has its own contradictions and paradoxes. As we talk, the former Bafana Bafana coach Ntate Shakes Mashaba is in convalescence, bedridden, struggling with prostate cancer and tuberculosis."},{"start":20889,"end":20916,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Our hearts reach out to him. Our prayers are with him. That's life as it is. But Madam Speaker, I rise to present items 1, 2, 3, 4 as cited by the STC for consideration. Thank you."},{"start":20916,"end":20934,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, member in charge. Councillor L. Mazibuko."},{"start":20934,"end":20959,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, let me sustain the protocol that has already been established in the house. When a city can no longer protect its history, it eventually loses its sight for future. Today, I wish to speak about far more than just a building, to speak about the soul of Johannesburg in and of itself."},{"start":20959,"end":20988,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The Johannesburg Art Gallery is not merely, is not merely just a municipal asset. It is one of the city's most important cultural institutions. It preserves our history, safeguards our collective memory, and connects generations of residents to the artistic and cultural heritage that defines Johannesburg. Today, this institution stands not as a monument to our aspirations, but as a symbol of neglect, decay, and institutional failure."},{"start":20988,"end":21017,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This is not simply an arts issue. It is governance issue. It is accountability issue. It is a financial issue, and ultimately, it is a Johannesburg issue. When public assets deteriorate, they reveal a failure of stewardship. The leaking roofs, collapsing infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, deteriorating facilities and securing, and security concerns are not operational inconveniences."},{"start":21017,"end":21047,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"They are in fact visible symptoms of institutional decline. After years of fighting to secure funding to protect this collection, one would reasonably expect that the relocation of priceless artwork would be undertaken with the highest standard of governance, transparency, professional expertise, and legal compliance. Yet serious questions remain unanswered. The collection audit remains outstanding, MMC."},{"start":21047,"end":21076,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The SAHRA permit remains outstanding. The Auditor-General's sign-off remains outstanding. And despite these unresolved matters, we continue to receive assurance that everything is proceeding as planned. Madam Speaker, governance cannot be replaced by presentation. Compliance cannot be manufactured through reports. Assurance cannot be substituted for evidence. Perhaps"},{"start":21076,"end":21106,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"most concerning is the resistance that often emerges when legitimate oversight questions are being raised. Oversight is not a sabotage, Madam Speaker. Accountability is not hostility. Transparency is not an attack. In fact, when questions are met with defensive, with defensiveness rather than answers, one begins to ask whether governance is being protected or whether certain processes or individuals are simply being shielded from scrutiny."},{"start":21106,"end":21119,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The people of Johannesburg deserve answers. They deserve to know whether proper procurement process were followed. They deserve to know whether regulatory requirements have been satisfied. They equally deserve to"},{"start":21119,"end":21128,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"35 seconds."},{"start":21128,"end":21137,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, if we are unable or unwilling to interrogate our own realities, we will inevitably become that which the context dictates. Thank you very much."},{"start":21137,"end":21147,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor R. Harris, ACDP."},{"start":21147,"end":21151,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Once again, I rise to"},{"start":21151,"end":21156,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mazibuko, Councillor Harris, just hold on. Councillor Mazibuko, you are sharing your time with Councillor Coogan."},{"start":21156,"end":21156,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yeah, I just..."},{"start":21156,"end":21160,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You have four minutes and Councillor Coogan has four minutes."},{"start":21160,"end":21169,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We were also keeping tab of the time here, Madam Speaker, and according to our records, we only have 2 minutes 57 seconds."},{"start":21169,"end":21194,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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."},{"start":21194,"end":21220,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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."},{"start":21220,"end":21247,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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."},{"start":21247,"end":21276,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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."},{"start":21276,"end":21303,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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."},{"start":21303,"end":21321,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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"},{"start":21321,"end":21322,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"45 seconds."},{"start":21322,"end":21353,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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"},{"start":21353,"end":21368,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"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."},{"start":21368,"end":21380,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Shumba, ActionSA."},{"start":21380,"end":21387,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"tn","text":"Dumela, Sebui yo montle. Mmatoropo o montle tota tlhe. Mare"},{"start":21387,"end":21406,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I rise to speak on Comdev. My first issue as a committee member of Comdev is that we were all present in this chambers when illegal South African T-shirts were being sold, and the ANC caucus members were even buying them"},{"start":21406,"end":21415,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"tn","text":"ka sekoloto. Mara ga go na ope o buang sepe. Mare re itse re tshegetsa Bafana Bafana, Modulasetilo ke go lebile."},{"start":21415,"end":21448,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"Ha re tswela pele Sebui, ke a tla ho o hlalosetsa hore pelo ya ka e bohloko. Bo-Mokhanselara Marema ba apere dikipa tsa Adidas mara ba shebile ditho tsa bona tsa caucus ba apere mokgokakgo o rekiswang mo teng ga khansele. Tla be re taboha, tla be re taboha re ya toropong. Ba di apere. Mokhanselara Marema, sheba ba ka mo morao ha hao ba di apere. Tla be re taboha re ya ko toropong re tswala mabenkele ntse re re he-eh ho rekiswa dilo tse di seyo, mara ke caucus ya ANC fela o ka jika ha tee wa ya ho kopana le tsona. Ba robedi ke ba bone. Ba di apere ka sekoloto."},{"start":21448,"end":21452,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, as I'm standing here as an ActionSA councillor"},{"start":21452,"end":21457,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Shumba, I hope you are aware that you have spoken three minutes away."},{"start":21457,"end":21459,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I haven't, Speaker, that's not true."},{"start":21459,"end":21460,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Three minutes away."},{"start":21460,"end":21463,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"That's not true, Speaker. Your time is incorrect. That's not true, Speaker."},{"start":21463,"end":21465,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Three minutes away."},{"start":21465,"end":21467,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"It's fine."},{"start":21467,"end":21467,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Chair of Chairs?"},{"start":21467,"end":21469,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"tn","text":"Go siame Sebui."},{"start":21469,"end":21483,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Chair of Chairs? Councillors, there's a point of order."},{"start":21483,"end":21508,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, thank you very much, Honourable Speaker. Just to put some facts on record, this is not Adidas T-shirt. But since when is an Adidas T-shirt part of the report in question in the agenda? I mean, really."},{"start":21508,"end":21512,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Chair of Chairs, I haven't asked you to get up as yet. Chair of Chairs,"},{"start":21512,"end":21515,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"ek is net so verbaas soos jy."},{"start":21515,"end":21518,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can you carry on?"},{"start":21518,"end":21527,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Want ons verbaas Speaker, die vergadering verval. Ons sal die waarheid praat vandag."},{"start":21527,"end":21528,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker,"},{"start":21528,"end":21530,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Asseblief, moenie dit weer verkrag nie."},{"start":21530,"end":21535,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Ja, ons sal die waarheid praat, julle vat die"},{"start":21535,"end":21535,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"fake"},{"start":21535,"end":21537,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"makooya gebank aan."},{"start":21537,"end":21538,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Your time is moving. Your time is moving."},{"start":21538,"end":21564,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I just wanted to inform all community members that they should remember when Herman Mashaba was sitting on that chair as Mayor, how the department was functioning and the positive margins he left. It's okay, everybody has their own thought. I am personally voting ActionSA and I hope the community of Johannesburg will do the same. They must also remember"},{"start":21564,"end":21578,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"hore Ratoropo beke e tlang o tla ba a taboha JHB ka ntle a re he-eh o tswala mabenkele, mara batho ba hae ba di rekile ke bale ke ba shebile. Ke a leboha. Wa di bona!"},{"start":21578,"end":21589,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Coogan. Councillor Coogan. Colleagues, colleagues, colleagues, colegas."},{"start":21589,"end":21590,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Haibo!"},{"start":21590,"end":21607,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Please guys. Please colleagues. It's credit that was denied. Thank you, Councillor Coogan."},{"start":21607,"end":21609,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can I start, Speaker?"},{"start":21609,"end":21612,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Please Councillor Coogan, do start. Your clock is starting."},{"start":21612,"end":21639,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Good afternoon, Speaker. Speaking on the third quarter of JCPZ, all protocol observed. Firstly, I wish to address our world-renowned urban forest in Johannesburg. We need a detailed plan for the planting of indigenous trees and shrubs in our urban landscape. We continue to plant trees that are susceptible to the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer. We also continue to plant trees on our narrow, largely impenetrable pavements."},{"start":21639,"end":21647,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Coogan, just hold on. Thank you."},{"start":21647,"end":21651,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can I continue? Hello?"},{"start":21651,"end":21653,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You can carry on, Councillor Coogan."},{"start":21653,"end":21685,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. We also continue to plant trees on our narrow, largely impermeable pavements, and there is no diversion of rainwater runoff to supplement and mitigate their perpetual drought conditions. We continue to cut and chop the trees because they don't fit in the narrow, arid space they've been allocated. We also have mature trees which in their quest for water push their roots through the tar in the roads and through the paving on the sidewalks."},{"start":21685,"end":21713,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The allocated space for the height for mature trees is also an issue, with mature trees growing through the electric power lines to reach the sunlight. We can do much better in terms of rendering our urban forest more sustainable and much less costly to maintain. We also need to rethink our trimming, care, and overall maintenance of our protected areas."},{"start":21713,"end":21740,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Oh, sorry. Excuse me. With our reserves, like the dilapidated fencing on Melville Koppies, Vorna Valley vlei, the maintenance of our parks and the allocation of budget to our traffic islands and road reserves of our arterial roads like Bowling Avenue."},{"start":21740,"end":21769,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"So often our green areas look unkempt and uncared for, and we have to continuously push for our green areas to be maintained. The entire budgeting and management of these areas needs to be undertaken in a more sustainable manner, as these areas are the natural assets of our city. Our rivers and other waterways should not be polluted. They can be cleaned with bioremediation technology where the sludge is digested"},{"start":21769,"end":21799,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"by bioremediation and its aerobic bacteria. It is disingenuous to continue implementing non-effective technologies. Our waterways and our green areas should be our spaces for leisure and recreation. In addition, we need to stop the closed shop operation of Environment and Infrastructure and JCPZ, where"},{"start":21799,"end":21831,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"they do not share with the public and with our councillors what is happening to climate-proof our city. I think this detail is extremely important and we need to have our KPIs and within the various facilities and entities in the city. Lastly, I would like to say that the DA is not against development."},{"start":21831,"end":21832,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"What we want is"},{"start":21832,"end":21835,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"37 seconds, Councillor Coogan."},{"start":21835,"end":21854,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"for the two to work together, and that basically we're able to have clean and functioning rivers, well-kept spaces, and allow people a quality of life and good places to go to, and therefore want to invest and live in. Thank you."},{"start":21854,"end":21866,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Coogan. Councillor Raholane. Hopefully, it's right. EFF."},{"start":21866,"end":21871,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"Raholane. A ke leboge, Seboledi, ke Raholane."},{"start":21871,"end":21876,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"My buttock."},{"start":21876,"end":21904,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"Ke Raholaka akere? O šafile ka mopeleto wa batswadi. E re ke leboge Seboledi. Ke lebogiše le Bafana Bafana. Ke lle le kgaetšedi ya ka mola wa ActionSA. Le nna ke itekile ka sekoloto. Ba re aowa, go a pala mokgalabje. Mara le ge o ka ithima meetse,"},{"start":21904,"end":21908,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"tšhwene o bona ge e nwele."},{"start":21908,"end":21939,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Greetings Speaker, EFF party leader, EFF Whip, EFF councillors, visitors at the gallery, most importantly, the residents of Johannesburg. The Economic Freedom Fighters notes the third quarter performance reports of the Community Development Department, Joburg City Theaters, and Joburg City Parks and Zoo. We welcome the work done in this quarter."},{"start":21939,"end":21970,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Community Development reports strong performance, with most of its target achieved. Libraries, sport facilities, art programs, and community facilities continue to play an important role in the lives of people, especially young people, the elderly, and poor communities who cannot afford private facilities. We also note the performance of Joburg City Theaters. The entity achieved 25 out of 28 measured targets,"},{"start":21970,"end":22001,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"attracted audience, supported youth and community programs, and continued to open space for arts and culture. This is important because the EFF believes that development is not only about roads and buildings. Our people also need culture, libraries, sport recreation, and safe public spaces. Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo also reported 90% overall performance across its indicators. We appreciate the work done in parks,"},{"start":22001,"end":22030,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the zoo, environmental education, and public open spaces. However, Speaker, good performance on paper must be felt by ordinary residents on the ground. A report can say targets were achieved, but communities still complain about broken facilities, unsafe parks, poor maintenance, closed or struggling public spaces, and slow responses to service delivery problems."},{"start":22030,"end":22061,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We are particularly concerned about revenue collection, delayed supplier payments, repairs and maintenance, and unresolved audit findings. When invoices are not paid on time, maintenance is delayed. When maintenance is delayed, facilities decline. When facilities decline, the poor suffer first. The EFF has always said that the state must have strong capacity to deliver service directly,"},{"start":22061,"end":22063,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"efficiently, and honestly. Community facilities"},{"start":22063,"end":22064,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"35 seconds."},{"start":22064,"end":22091,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"must not become places of neglect. They must be clean, safe, accessible, and properly maintained. We therefore call on the department and its entities to move beyond reporting targets and focus on visible service delivery. Every library, swimming pool, park, theater, and community facility must have a clear maintenance plan, proper security, working equipment, and regular monitoring. In closing,"},{"start":22091,"end":22114,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"we also call for stronger consequence management where targets are missed, invoices are delayed, or audit findings remain unresolved. Speaker, we will support the recommendation, but our support comes with a clear message: performance reports must translate into better service for"},{"start":22114,"end":22129,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Councillor. Councillor Mashinini, African National Congress."},{"start":22129,"end":22133,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"A ke tšee sebaka se go dumedisa, Seboledi."},{"start":22133,"end":22136,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mashinini, he is not here."},{"start":22136,"end":22147,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I'm here. I've got two mics on. Councillor Mazibuko, okay."},{"start":22147,"end":22159,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, Speaker, apologies for the confusion. Councillor Mashinini delegated his duties to me because we sit in the same committee. But Chair, or but Speaker,"},{"start":22159,"end":22183,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Yini? Umuntu usuka esweni. UKhansela Shumba ngabe uyabakhumbula, wakhuluma noyedwa wethu ukuthi ubenesifiso sokuba ne-t-shirt. Simsize ukuthi alithole i-t-shirt. Ngakho-ke, ngoba akazange akhulume, uzokhuluma kanje. Futhi Khansela Shumba, Somlomo ngokusebenzisa wena,"},{"start":22183,"end":22185,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"directly or indirectly."},{"start":22185,"end":22201,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Uqeda ukusitshela ukuthi lesi sitolo ahlale ethenga khona e-Small Street, asihambisani nemithetho kamasipala. Ngakho-ke, ubona ukuthi kubalulekile ukuthi azokhala lana kuMkhandlu ukuthi uMeya ususe isitolo la ahlale ethenga impahla zakhe khona."},{"start":22201,"end":22206,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"As the African National Congress, we note the report."},{"start":22206,"end":22221,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Councillor Mazibuko. Colleagues, I know it's in the afternoon, let's move with the reports. MMC Amad. MMC Amad."},{"start":22221,"end":22226,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Good afternoon. Deputy"},{"start":22226,"end":22231,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Shumba, I need to listen to the MMC."},{"start":22231,"end":22244,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Good afternoon, Speaker and councillors. I would also like to greet the residents of the City of Johannesburg. And I would like to congratulate Bafana Bafana."},{"start":22244,"end":22252,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Mina esami niyasibona mosi? Sibhekene kahle."},{"start":22252,"end":22260,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"So, but in hindsight, Councillor Shumba, the question"},{"start":22260,"end":22262,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"ya Small Street,"},{"start":22262,"end":22263,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"it was a question"},{"start":22263,"end":22264,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"ya boikobelo,"},{"start":22264,"end":22265,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"not"},{"start":22265,"end":22268,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"ya gore batho ba tsamaye. Wa bona, rona"},{"start":22268,"end":22276,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"we foster social cohesion in the city because we are a city that also is a custodian"},{"start":22276,"end":22283,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"st","text":"ya bofaladi. Wena o batla go ba tsamaisa, o ba tsamaisise."},{"start":22283,"end":22313,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I would like to perhaps, through you Speaker, advise my fellow friend, Mazibuko, to say in life there's three types of people: and one is an optimist, the second one is a pessimist, and the third person is a chronic complainer. So, an optimist is the one who sees good"},{"start":22313,"end":22341,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"in bad. So, we appreciate our shortcoming as a city, and we believe that in line with the 11 strategic priorities of the Executive Mayor, since we came from Lekgotla of the Executive Mayor, the EMT Lekgotla, we have a line item and a plan to resolve the challenges that we are facing as the city."},{"start":22341,"end":22372,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Remember we are a city of gold that is better than Cape Town. We are a city of the gold and the beautiful. So, we need to write our story as the city by appreciating our shortcoming. And Councillor Harris, you'd know that this is the only city that has, in the whole of Africa, we have facilities"},{"start":22372,"end":22403,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"that we can celebrate, the state-of-the-art facilities. The Bafana Bafana that you saw playing yesterday, they came from one of these facilities in the City of Joburg, which is we need to take pride because we are celebrating Bafana Bafana as a product of what we are custodian of. Councillor Coogan, thank you so much."},{"start":22403,"end":22420,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"In our area of development, we'll definitely identify the concerns that you've raised. And in so doing, I would like to ask council to note the report. Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":22420,"end":22428,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, MMC Amad. Member in charge."},{"start":22428,"end":22442,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. We request council to note and approve the reports. Thank you. Bye."},{"start":22442,"end":22460,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. Recommendations on pages 1.31, 2.10, 3.26, and 4.14. Are the items agreed to? Thank you so much. STC."},{"start":22460,"end":22491,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We're now on item five, and that's the performance assessment report for the Group Corporate and Shared Services Department for the 2025-26 financial year for the period January to March 2026, read with item six, and that's the oversight report of the Section 79 Corporate and Shared Services Committee on the 2025-26 third quarter budget and performance assessment report of Group Corporate and Shared Services for the period January to March 2026."},{"start":22491,"end":22501,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"In the absence of Councillor Raphadu, who will be acting from the committee? Councillor Manganyi."},{"start":22501,"end":22505,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mothopi will be speaking."},{"start":22505,"end":22509,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Pardon?"},{"start":22509,"end":22512,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mothopi."},{"start":22512,"end":22515,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, I need a member of the committee. Councillor Manganyi."},{"start":22515,"end":22518,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"She's a member of the committee."},{"start":22518,"end":22521,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Where is the councillor?"},{"start":22521,"end":22523,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I'm here, Speaker."},{"start":22523,"end":22526,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay."},{"start":22526,"end":22529,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"nso","text":"A ke tšee sebaka go go leboga, Seboledi."},{"start":22529,"end":22554,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I greet the DM, Councillor Loyiso Masuku, CoC, Councillor Adolph Marema, and the Chairpersons of committees, not forgetting the progressive councillors of the ANC. I stand to table the report item five and six. Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":22554,"end":22567,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Manganyi. Councillor Manganyi, IFP."},{"start":22567,"end":22569,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Greetings, Madam Speaker."},{"start":22569,"end":22574,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Eyi, akagadiwe amandla phela siya kuma-elections."},{"start":22574,"end":22581,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I rise to debate the quarter three performance report on the Group Corporate"},{"start":22581,"end":22610,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Corporate and Shared Services for 2025/2026 financial year. Madam Speaker, on the outset let me acknowledge the work that has been done by the department in advancing important initiatives such as the Employment Equity Plan, employee wellness programmes and aspects of the metro trading reforms. These are commendable efforts and demonstrate a commitment in rebuilding a capable and professional administration."},{"start":22610,"end":22637,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"However, Madam Speaker, our duty as councillors is not simply to celebrate an activity. It is to assess performance and outcomes. The report above us indicates that the department's performance has declined from 90, 93.33% in Quarter 1 to 87% in Quarter 2 and now to 65% in Quarter 3. This trend, this trend should concern every member of this council."},{"start":22637,"end":22663,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We cannot become comfortable with declining performance. If we praise a fish for swimming, we lower the standard of excellence that our residents expect from us. The City of Johannesburg is facing immense service delivery and governance challenges and the administration must consistently perform at its highest level. Of particular concern is the failure to achieve key targets relating to organizational redesign,"},{"start":22663,"end":22690,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the filling, the filling of vacancies within prescribed timeframes and workplace safety. These are not minor administrative matters. They directly affect the city's ability to deliver service, services efficiently and effectively. The delay in organizational redesign due to non-payment of a transactional advisor raises serious questions about project management and internal coordination. Likewise, Madam Speaker,"},{"start":22690,"end":22719,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the continued delay, continued delays in filling vacancies post undermine the institutional capacity at a time when the city requires skilled and dedicated personnel to drive service delivery. Madam Speaker, the report also highlights concerns regarding workplace injuries across various departments and entities. The safety and well-being of employees must remain a priority and the proposed mitigation measures must be implemented without delay."},{"start":22719,"end":22724,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"As the Inkatha Freedom Party, we believe in accountability, good governance and a capable city."},{"start":22724,"end":22726,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"30 seconds left."},{"start":22726,"end":22750,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We therefore call upon the department to urgently implement the corrective measures to outline, outlined in the report and provide council with the clear evidence of improvement in the next reporting cycle. While we note the report, Madam Speaker, we do so with an expectation that the declining performance will be arrested and reversed. Johannesburg residents deserve an administration not only that"},{"start":22755,"end":22761,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. ACDP Councillor N. Mkhonza."},{"start":22761,"end":22788,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Shalom, shalom once again. I rise to speak on Item 5: Performance Assessment Report for the Group Corporate and Shared Services Department for the 2025/2026 financial year for the period January to March. Hey! The ACDP caucus would ordinarily commence its contribution by acknowledging"},{"start":22788,"end":22813,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"areas of progress and improvement. Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, this report provides very little basis for such optimism. What is deeply concerning is the significant deterioration in the department's overall performance. The report reflects a decline of 28.3% when compared to Quarter 1 and a further 22% decline when compared to Quarter 2."},{"start":22813,"end":22841,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Such a trend is not merely a statistical fluctuation. It points to a department that is steadily losing momentum at a time when the city requires stronger institutional support, improved administrative efficiency and greater accountability. Madam Speaker, this downward trajectory reminds one of the experience we witnessed within the Office of the COO when leadership changes occurred and performance gradually deteriorated thereafter."},{"start":22841,"end":22870,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Whether coincidental or not, the reality remains that sustained declines in performance should raise serious concerns about leadership effectiveness, strategic direction, operational management and the department's ability to execute its mandate. The Group Corporate and Shared Services Department serves as the backbone of the city's administration. When this department underperforms, the ripple effects are felt across the entire organization."},{"start":22870,"end":22898,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Human resources, labour relations, organizational development, employee wellness and administrative support functions all play a critical role in enabling service delivery departments to function effectively. Therefore, persistent underperformance within the GCSS cannot be viewed in isolation. It ultimately impacts the city's overall ability to deliver services to residents. Furthermore, when one examines some of the mitigation"},{"start":22898,"end":22899,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"47 seconds left."},{"start":22899,"end":22942,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much. Furthermore, when one examines some of the mitigation measures contained in this report, serious questions arise regarding implementation and follow-through. For example, under the KPI relating to the decrease in quarterly salary bill of all suspended officials of the city's core, the mitigation measure states that the suspension will be uplifted before disciplinary processes commence on 29 April 2026. Madam Speaker, we are now in June 2026. One would reasonably expect that the report to provide a definitive update indicating whether the suspensions were indeed uplifted or whether disciplinary processes commenced as planned. Instead, the mitigation reads as though it was drafted before"},{"start":22945,"end":22950,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. ActionSA Councillor J. Aphane."},{"start":22955,"end":22980,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker, colleagues, members of the public, all protocol observed. I rise to speak on Item 5: Performance Assessment for 2025/2026 financial year for the period January to March 2026."},{"start":22980,"end":23009,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The reasons cited in this item, Madam Speaker, for the decline are not convincing enough, considering that the previous assessment of 2024/2025 in Quarter 3 was 100%, and this time is 65%. Looking at what the department achieved, there are no measurables that have been mentioned. It is quite"},{"start":23009,"end":23035,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"broad to say number of active suspensions, for example, longer than three months for Section 54A and 56 reduced. The question is reduced from where to where, and the list continues. The same applies to KPIs not achieved."},{"start":23035,"end":23046,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Also, the health and safety is also a concern as the employees' health are placed in danger, Madam Speaker. ActionSA therefore notes this report. I thank you."},{"start":23049,"end":23056,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Foley, DA."},{"start":23056,"end":23084,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, members of council, residents of Johannesburg, all protocol observed. Good day. I, Councillor Foley, rise to speak on Item 5: Performance Assessment for the Group Corporate and Shared Services Department. Madam Speaker, this report once again confirms what residents experience every day. Johannesburg is a city in deep distress. It is overstaffed in some areas, underperforming in critical functions, inefficient in execution"},{"start":23084,"end":23111,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and lacking the governance discipline required to turn the service delivery around. If the City of Johannesburg were a private business, it would have closed its doors many years ago. The reality is that the city currently carries 37,229 employees, including 130, 103 temporary workers, yet residents continue to receive poor service and unreliable service. When one reads the quarterly report, the first major concern"},{"start":23111,"end":23140,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"is the reported decline, which a lot of the members have spoken about already. A total of 139 facilities across the city were assessed for compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act during the third quarter. The average system compliance was only 52%, while physical compliance was at 64. This raises a serious question: are we doing enough to protect our own employees? We cannot speak about service delivery while staff are expected to work in environments that are unsafe, poorly managed or non-compliant."},{"start":23140,"end":23165,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Senior management must take direct responsibility for compliance, workplace safety and the dignity of employees. I have also been told by staff members that if the staff complement were reduced by 30%, it would not necessarily impact the work output. This is a very serious reflection on productivity, management and consequence management in the city. I am not saying that every employee is unproductive. There are many committed public servants,"},{"start":23165,"end":23193,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"but the system itself is failing them, and effective management is required in every department. The question must be asked: are the right managers in place, and are they being held accountable for performance? The provision of fleet contract management services, particularly in relation to Pikitup, is clearly not working. Weekly collections are not being facilitated on time, and Johannesburg residents are suffering as a result. This problem started in November 2025, and collections have still not recovered."},{"start":23193,"end":23219,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We see the same problems every week. Surely there must be a contractual recourse for non-delivery, and surely someone must be held accountable. On employment equity, after 32 years of democracy, we must be honest enough to say the city needs to attract and appoint the best people for the job. Policies must not become a barrier to appointing critical skills. Johannesburg should be the place where skilled, committed professionals want to work because they can make a real difference."},{"start":23219,"end":23249,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Instead, many go elsewhere because the system is too restrictive, too slow and too political. Madam Speaker, some of the concerns we have raised in our Section 79 meetings include the following. There is still no meaningful progress on the updated Electronic Data Management System. Previous oversight reports have indicated that delays in finalizing a policy are partly to blame, but this cannot continue indefinitely. There are continued delays in the digitization of HR processes and the records management system by GICT."},{"start":23249,"end":23277,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Performance assessments are still being done on paper, and during oversight visits we saw documents, including personal information, lying around in the Metro Centre in different departments. This creates a serious operational and POPIA-related risks. The skills audit was conducted in 2018, yet interventions remain delayed. The question now is whether those interventions are even still relevant to the current needs of the organization, given staff turnover and the changing skills required in a modern municipality."},{"start":23277,"end":23305,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The MTN to Telkom contract change has resulted in litigation against the city, which may lead to further fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The report also lists many health challenges within departments, including depression, trauma, post-traumatic stress, bereavement, anxiety and exhaustion and panic attacks. I believe much more can be done to support staff well-being."},{"start":23305,"end":23331,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, I am pleased with the recent response from the Group Executive Director of GCSS to a question I posed regarding whether 1,550 permanent employees and 143 contractors would be appointed in 2026/2027, and where the funds would come from, given that the city is cash-strapped. His answer was clear: no, there is currently a moratorium on recruitment. Departments and entities must make an application to the Strategic Appointments Panel"},{"start":23331,"end":23357,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"for any recruitment into the approved and funded positions. He further confirmed that the city would only make appointments for approved, funded and budgeted positions, and that it would be an offense to make an appointment where the position is not funded or budgeted for. The answer is welcomed. However, it should be, it would be useful if a DA council member could form part of the Strategic Appointments Panel to strengthen oversight and transparency."},{"start":23357,"end":23384,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, another concern is the expiry of contracts for essential services. This creates the risk of emergency procurement, where normal procurement processes may be bypassed. And the city must implement a proper contract management system and then ensure that suppliers are paid before services are interrupted. I just want to talk about two examples of the quality of service that residents experience from the City of Joburg. The first involves an 80-year-old"},{"start":23384,"end":23415,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"pensioner who was accused of bypassing her water meter. Eventually, it was cleared of a R22,000 fine, but it's been 18 months later. There is also the example of, relates to face-value forms required for change of ownership, license disc renewals are in short supply or not available at all at many centres. This prevents businesses and residents from functioning efficiently and impacts the local economy. Yet residents are told that forms can suddenly be found if money changes hands."},{"start":23415,"end":23445,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"That is completely unacceptable and must be investigated. Madam Speaker, Joburg needs a monumental shake-up. That change is coming. After the next election, we look forward to welcoming Helen Zille as the Mayor of Joburg, together with a clear turnaround strategy for the City of Joburg. To those who have not been doing their jobs, the era of non-consequence management must come to an end. Johannesburg cannot afford another five years of excuses, failed systems and poor service delivery."},{"start":23445,"end":23478,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"In closing, I want to urge residents to ensure that they are correctly, correctly registered to vote. Check your details, update your voting district if necessary, and make sure you are ready for the 2026 government elections. The second weekend of registration will be the 1st and 2nd of August 2026. Johannesburg can be fixed, but it will require leadership, discipline, accountability and the political will to put residents first. I thank you, Speaker."},{"start":23478,"end":23484,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor P. Nhlapo from the EFF."},{"start":23492,"end":23496,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, we move. Councillor N."},{"start":23496,"end":23497,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I wanted to note, Speaker."},{"start":23497,"end":23498,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Pardon?"},{"start":23498,"end":23501,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I wanted to note on her behalf."},{"start":23501,"end":23502,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, can you note?"},{"start":23507,"end":23519,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, thank you very much, Speaker. Greetings to you, greetings to the EFF party leaders and leadership. As the EFF, we note this report."},{"start":23519,"end":23520,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor."},{"start":23524,"end":23528,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"ANC Councillor N. Mzolo."},{"start":23534,"end":23574,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Ehh ngikubingelele Somlomo ngibingelele i-Deputy Mayor ngibingelele amakhansela amahle wakwi-GLU. Bengizothi delusional 44 kodwa Comrade Nkonyeni ngizobe ngikusukela. So ngizothi delusional 43. Ngibingelele nalaba be-Demonic Alliance. Ehh abavakashi egalari, abahlali baseGoli ehh nezami lapha eMsotra. Ngiyabingelela. So ehh ngime lana ngizokhuluma ngo-item 5"},{"start":23574,"end":23578,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"which speaks about the performance report of the Group Governance"},{"start":23578,"end":23583,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mposula. Councillor, can you take your seat?"},{"start":23587,"end":23592,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Madam Speaker. No, we don't take jokes like that."},{"start":23592,"end":23593,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Please quote your rule."},{"start":23593,"end":23630,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I'm rising on Rule 72. The councillor is referring to ActionSA councillors as delusional 44 or 43, and I don't know why is he referring us like that. And I want us to ensure that this councillor understands the decorum of the house, and he needs to withdraw that. This is the councillor who has been rejected by his community because he is not serving the people. So we want him to withdraw. We want him to"},{"start":23636,"end":23646,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Avant-Smith. Wait, Councillor. Councillor Mposula, switch off your mic, please."},{"start":23653,"end":23657,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. I rise on Rule 72."},{"start":23657,"end":23665,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, just hold on. Councillor, switch off your mic, please. Thank you, Councillor Smith."},{"start":23665,"end":23672,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I would like the councillor on the floor to please withdraw the word \"Demonic Alliance\". Thank you."},{"start":23676,"end":23702,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mzolo, can you please, I cannot rule if everybody is talking. Councillor, can you please withdraw \"demonic\" and can you also withdraw \"delusional\"? Please, unconditional."},{"start":23702,"end":23710,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I will withdraw \"Demonic Alliance\", but I did not refer to ActionSA as delusional. I said \"delusional 44\". If the shoe fits, then they must wear it."},{"start":23710,"end":23716,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, let's not debate. Councillor, let's not debate. Let's just withdraw."},{"start":23716,"end":23720,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"For the sake of peace, Speaker, I withdraw."},{"start":23720,"end":23725,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, colleagues. It's withdrawn."},{"start":23725,"end":23737,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"So Somlomo, I don't know lesi sikhathi sami esidliwa kangaka uyasigcina angithi? Ngiyabonga Somlomo. Nkosi yami, uyazi ngiyaxosha abantu abaningi nale nto wena."},{"start":23737,"end":23743,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, just have a seat. There's another hand. Councillor Nkonyeni."},{"start":23743,"end":23745,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, on"},{"start":23754,"end":23757,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I haven't even said anything and people are howling."},{"start":23757,"end":23759,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillors!"},{"start":23759,"end":23761,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I want to raise a point of order here."},{"start":23761,"end":23766,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillors, please! Councillor Nkonyeni, please, can we move?"},{"start":23766,"end":23774,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, Speaker, I just want to raise a point of order. I am not a comrade, Speaker. People must vote for ActionSA."},{"start":23780,"end":23787,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Nkonyeni, that's not a point of order, please! Please! Councillor, can you carry on?"},{"start":23787,"end":23794,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Okay, hhayi Nkosi yami, ngoba mangikhuluma lo ngiyaphazanyiswa ngizovesane ngihlale endabeni."},{"start":23794,"end":23822,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"So Speaker, we stand here today to deliberate on the performance report of Group Corporate and Shared Services Department for the third quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year. This report is not merely a collection of statistics. It is a report card on the administrative machinery that underpins this great city. The Government of Local Unity came into power with a clear mandate. We promised to deliver"},{"start":23822,"end":23851,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"on 11 strategic priorities, chief amongst them good governance, financial stability and building a smart city. This report serves as our progress report to the people of Johannesburg, a testament to our commitment to transparency and an honest reflection for the state of our administration. I stand here not to make excuses, but to provide solutions. We are a government that works for the people,"},{"start":23851,"end":23858,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and we are not afraid to confront our weaknesses head-on. Madam Speaker,"},{"start":23858,"end":23861,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"ehh mangiqhubeka ngiyazi bazokhala kodwa ngiyaqhubeka."},{"start":23861,"end":23868,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This city was left in a state of administrative atrophy by the previous"},{"start":23868,"end":23876,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Demo- ini? Democratic, Democratic Alliance ngoba mangisho lokho okunye bayakhala."},{"start":23876,"end":23887,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Democratic Alliance administration. They governed with a focus on optics rather than operation. They neglected the institutional architecture of the city."},{"start":23887,"end":23891,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Omunye angabuza ukuthi kungani ngikhuluma ngabo."},{"start":23891,"end":23922,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Honourable Speaker, the residents of Johannesburg have not forgotten the chaos of the DA-led government that preceded this administration. Let's be honest about the record. The DA governed Johannesburg from 2016 to 2019 and returned to power between 2021 and 2023. What did they leave behind? A legacy of mismanagement, neglect and non-compliance. Mayor Morero"},{"start":23922,"end":23931,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, can you just hold on? We're keeping your time. Councillor Belinda. Point of order, Madam."},{"start":23931,"end":23934,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, on this Councillor Mzolo, I think."},{"start":23939,"end":23942,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Who's standing? Can you be seated there?"},{"start":23947,"end":23958,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, since we are talking about history, ne, the ANC was in charge from 1996 until 2016."},{"start":23958,"end":23960,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"That is not a point of order. That's not a point of order."},{"start":23960,"end":23980,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, Councillor, Councillor, Councillor Belinda, to be honest, that was not a point of order. Earlier on, when I spoke about people talking, okay, let's leave it there. Councillor, can you carry on?"},{"start":23983,"end":23988,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Ukuthi ngiyoke ngiqede angisakholwa. Akekho omunye ophakamisa isandla futhi? Ngiyabonga."},{"start":23988,"end":23990,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, can you continue? Your time is"},{"start":23990,"end":24018,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Mayor Morero correctly laid the blame for the city's deepening financial crisis at the door of the DA-led coalition. We are still dealing with the fallout of the, we are still dealing with the fallout of filling of positions, a policy born out of the previous administration's inability to manage the budget. This has directly contributed to our inability to fill vacancies within four months, as noted in the report. The DA has left"},{"start":24018,"end":24036,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"us with a city where administrative processes were broken, where vetting processes were delayed, and where job descriptions were left in a state of disrepair. They talk about a smart city, but they created a dysfunctional workforce. We are now tasked with cleaning up their"},{"start":24036,"end":24043,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, there's a point of order on you. Can you quote the point of order or the rule?"},{"start":24043,"end":24050,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Rule 72, Rule 72, Madam Speaker, and he must not mislead this house. He must respond to the Minister of Finance that wants a response by Friday."},{"start":24050,"end":24052,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, no."},{"start":24057,"end":24059,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Kayal."},{"start":24059,"end":24065,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Hhayi kodwa angeke ngikhale kakhulu phela hhayi ukuthi sonke sijahile ukuthi inyanga iphele, siyazi makungama-30 kwenzakalani ngabangani bethu."},{"start":24065,"end":24067,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, can you move on with your speech?"},{"start":24067,"end":24076,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, this is my speech, Speaker. I must go between English and Zulu. Sometimes I will speak Venda or Sotho because"},{"start":24076,"end":24077,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, please move on."},{"start":24077,"end":24108,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, I'll move, Speaker. I'll move, Speaker. While we are getting to work, we see the opposition, ActionSA, spending their time grandstanding, tweeting and complaining. They claim to be the saviours of the city, yet they present no alternatives, no workable solutions. They will attack this report, but let me ask them: where is your plan to fix the situation we are highlighting?"},{"start":24108,"end":24135,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We at the GLU are in the trenches. We are dealing with real-world complexities of the City of Johannesburg. While ActionSA plays politics, we are on the ground restructuring the metro trading entities and addressing the health and wellness of our employees. They want to talk; we are working. And Speaker, let us be clear: when we talk about inside, we have the current administration,"},{"start":24135,"end":24137,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"ungambuka nje u-Deputy Mayor wethu."},{"start":24137,"end":24157,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And then on the other side, we have a DA mayoral candidate who is so out of touch and past her sell-by date, and she thinks a smart city is one with a new hairdo. And Speaker, she is an old hag of politics recycling the same tired slogans."},{"start":24157,"end":24163,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, Councillor, there's another Councillor Sifumba."},{"start":24166,"end":24171,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, I stand on Rule 72."},{"start":24171,"end":24176,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Yazi Somlomo kuyahlupha ukuthi ubemusha mawuqeda uzoqhuba nge-ageism la."},{"start":24176,"end":24179,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And the fact that you don't even research your own speeches."},{"start":24179,"end":24184,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Yizinto ezokwenza ukuthi uthukane nabantu abadala."},{"start":24184,"end":24185,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Sifumba, what is your point of order?"},{"start":24185,"end":24189,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Please. No, we can't promote any ageism in this house. We can't."},{"start":24195,"end":24199,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, can you continue with your speech, please?"},{"start":24203,"end":24205,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I withdraw \"hag\" unconditionally."},{"start":24205,"end":24209,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"He's withdrawn \"hag\" unconditionally. Councillor, can"},{"start":24209,"end":24222,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, she, okay, sorry, yes. Speaker, she's recycling the same tired slogans from the 1990s while offering zero solutions for the people of Johannesburg."},{"start":24222,"end":24227,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Ukubhukuda kuzosiza bani? Naba bayamkhuza angithi bayamsaba. Kodwa"},{"start":24245,"end":24271,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"is less like a political organization and more like a personality cult, blindly following their leader off a cliff while pretending they have a plan. Then there are empty promises with no substance, no strategy and no idea how to run a municipality. They are busy fighting for relevance while we are busy fighting for residents."},{"start":24271,"end":24278,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Okay, siyaqhubeka yila. Yila ngizokudla ngalapho."},{"start":24278,"end":24279,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mzolo."},{"start":24279,"end":24280,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, sorry, Speaker."},{"start":24280,"end":24286,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Why are you engaging councillors? Can you stick to your speech?"},{"start":24286,"end":24291,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, Speaker, Speaker, if, please protect me then. If I must stick to my speech, the howlers this side, you must"},{"start":24291,"end":24303,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, no, switch off your mic. Switch off your mic. Councillor, Councillor, hhayi! Councillors on this side, please!"},{"start":24311,"end":24339,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We'll go home at 10 o'clock. But I'm saying to you, Councillor, please continue with your speech. I'm only taking one hand there and one hand here. I'm not taking three points of order from ActionSA. One hand from Councillor Belinda, you're first, and then Councillor Mposula, you're second. We need to move on. Carry on."},{"start":24339,"end":24342,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Dit werk."},{"start":24342,"end":24364,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, you know, you are the custodian of the rules in this house, and I'm rising on Rule 72, and I'm also just saying this to you: that we need to keep the decorum of this house, and you, as the custodian of the rules, is very responsible for that. We cannot have a situation where a"},{"start":24364,"end":24376,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"'n manspreker praat van vroumense in die derogatory manner wat hy gedoen het vandag nie. Dan gaan ons almal af daai pad toe en ons kan dit buitekant toe vat."},{"start":24376,"end":24381,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Belinda, Councillor Belinda, you, he said he"},{"start":24381,"end":24385,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the heck, and he withdrew the heck unconditionally."},{"start":24385,"end":24391,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Ek weet rêrig nie wat was die ander woord wat hy gesê het nie want ek verstaan nie."},{"start":24391,"end":24400,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mposula. Councillor Mposula."},{"start":24400,"end":24421,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we understand that this new councillor is still a novice and he doesn't understand the rule of the house. So he must refrain from calling us with our first names. I'm not Tshepo, I am Councillor Mposula. He needs to rectify that. Thank you so much."},{"start":24421,"end":24435,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, please refrain from calling councillors on their first name. They are Councillor Mposula. Can you please continue your speech? And no, no offensive words to anyone."},{"start":24435,"end":24446,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, to some people the truth is offensive. So how can I not be offensive when I'm talking the truth? So Speaker, for the sake, for the sake of peace,"},{"start":24446,"end":24450,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, please."},{"start":24450,"end":24451,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay."},{"start":24451,"end":24452,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Please."},{"start":24452,"end":24453,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, Speaker."},{"start":24453,"end":24458,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Otherwise, otherwise, otherwise I'm not going to allow you to finish your speech."},{"start":24458,"end":24461,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Understand you, Speaker. Yes, Speaker."},{"start":24461,"end":24463,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And don't let me do that, please."},{"start":24463,"end":24464,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Eh, Speaker,"},{"start":24464,"end":24477,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And all those hecklers, can we stop heckling? All of us, all over. I'm not taking another hand. I have ruled. Finish. Councillor, please carry on."},{"start":24477,"end":24507,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, this administration has achieved significant milestones. Notably its good governance, institutional stability. We have not just looked at the balance sheet. We are looking after our people. The employee wellness initiative reaching our employees shows that we are a caring administration. We are building resilience in the system. However, Speaker,"},{"start":24507,"end":24535,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I must be candid. We cannot celebrate while ignoring the elephant in the room. The report indicates a decline in overall performance from 93.33% in Q1 to 87% in Q2 and a steep drop to 65% in Q3. We cannot look, we cannot look away. We must analyze this with the rigor it deserves."},{"start":24535,"end":24564,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, why the decline? It comes down to four key areas of failure which we are actively addressing. We are a government, we are a government of action, not excuses. The mitigation plans are in place. We are pushing the institutional review processes to ensure that the city is lean, fit for purpose, and only and ready to deliver services."},{"start":24564,"end":26181,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Sengivala,"},{"start":24591,"end":24606,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We are putting the City of Johannesburg back to it, back to the path of glory. I humbly request that this council notes the report. I thank you, Speaker."},{"start":24606,"end":24611,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"MMC Masuku."},{"start":24611,"end":24641,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Good afternoon, Speaker. Appreciating all the comments from councillors. While GCSS achieved several strategic governance and organizational milestones during the quarter, indeed overall performance declined due to unachievement of key organizational and human resource indicators. Focused corrective measures will be required to restore performance levels and the support and the city's broader governance"},{"start":24641,"end":24671,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and institutional reform and ensure that we enhance performance management and accountability. And I heard the concerns raised on institutional capacity. And then on the strategic panel, Speaker, the strategic panel is an administrative process. It is led in the Office of the City Manager. Remember, as councillors, we are not permitted to sit in recruitment except for Section 56"},{"start":24671,"end":24700,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and for the recruitment of the City Manager and the recruitment of the Ombudsman. But we cannot then sit in the other committees, so it would be inappropriate for us to make a suggestion of that nature. Through you, Speaker, actually, you know, I don't agree with Councillor Foley, Speaker. The DA does not care. In fact, the DA just rejected"},{"start":24700,"end":24730,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"a motion now that and they voted against development for the students precinct of young people of Johannesburg and health workers. So I don't agree with his assertion, so it would be a mistake to say that on the 1st and the 2nd, you could look elsewhere. Besides, just if you register, you voice your power, you shape tomorrow, you should shape tomorrow with progressive ANC-led government of local unity"},{"start":24730,"end":24757,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"who fight for students. Because today we fought for students. Today we put students first. We put the safety of young people first. So I don't agree with that assertion, but what I do agree with is that progress is made by people who are in certain positions, and for the progress to continue, you have to give that power back to those people, and that is the African National Congress. Speaker,"},{"start":24757,"end":24782,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mzolo, I just think Councillor Mzolo wanted to say that Joburg needs a vibrant, energetic leader with purpose, with vision, working for all, and a younger generation. I don't think he was referring to in any specific way,"},{"start":24782,"end":24792,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"but what he meant to say was that Joburg needs a younger, energetic generation. Thank you so much."},{"start":24792,"end":24804,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Can I have the member in charge? Is the member in charge still in the house? Oh, I can't see from here."},{"start":24804,"end":24815,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, Speaker. I forgot. Speaker, I'm asking council to note and approve the report. Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":24815,"end":24827,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, acting member in charge. Colleagues, the recommendations on page 5.6 and 6.8, are the items agreed to?"},{"start":24827,"end":24828,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Agreed!"},{"start":24828,"end":24830,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you."},{"start":24830,"end":24832,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We'll proceed with item seven."},{"start":24832,"end":24848,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Just, just, just hold on, STC. Are you saying we should not agree to the items, councillor? Yes? I'm, I'm recognizing you."},{"start":24848,"end":24851,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, what is it that I've done to you, Madam?"},{"start":24851,"end":24853,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Hawu wena!"},{"start":24853,"end":24854,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, it's unfair."},{"start":24854,"end":24855,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Nothing."},{"start":24855,"end":24884,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, it's unfair, on a serious note. Madam Speaker, as ActionSA, we are looking at these items here, and they are many. I'm not here to stand up about the issue of the T-shirts, Madam Speaker. But I will request maybe if we can have a five-minute whippery break so that maybe from whips from different political parties, if we can agree to cluster some of these items, or maybe we can note, if we agree,"},{"start":24884,"end":24901,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and then if we don't agree, then we can just continue as it, yeah, we can carry on, but yeah. We are just requesting for that five minutes whippery break with other political parties."},{"start":24901,"end":24934,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, you know people submitted their names, neh? And you did not submit your names in any of these reports. And now you are saying we must cluster it and deny others to be speaking. But I will take from the house what they want to do. But you see, when we start making noises and prolonging the time, when we see it gets to night, then we want to rush through things."},{"start":24934,"end":24970,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And yesterday you told me I want to rush. Um, whips? I'm going to, I'm going to read there's a rule that I want to read, because you see when we don't listen."},{"start":24970,"end":25000,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaking time in debates: For each debate, 24 hours before the council meeting, you need to give us whichever it is. The whippery must submit to the Speaker's Office a list of councillors who are to speak to the debate and in order to which they are to speak. So the problem is that you have not given names, but you want to dictate how we are going to do this. Colleagues,"},{"start":25000,"end":25023,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Chair of Chairs, can you deal with the whippery and see what it is that they are saying? Um, Councillor Avant-Smith, are we fine with that? And every other, every whippery? Councillor Johannes? Sorry for that."},{"start":25023,"end":25029,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thanks, Speaker. Um, I thought Councillor Munyayi was suggesting a five minutes break"},{"start":25029,"end":25034,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yeah, that's what I'm asking. That's what I'm asking if whips are fine with it."},{"start":25034,"end":25035,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, Speaker, we are fine."},{"start":25035,"end":25461,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Five minutes and not six minutes. Uh-uh, not six minutes, five minutes. The clock starts now. We are on 4:49."},{"start":25461,"end":25590,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"on rats and rats chewing the I wonder what is breaking news today? Because me and you, we were in the news, you were, and I was also on the rats. I'll show you. I'll send it to you now. So I don't know what's breaking news today."},{"start":25590,"end":25594,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Honorable Speaker."},{"start":25594,"end":25599,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, Chair of Chairs. Colleagues, can we settle down?"},{"start":25599,"end":25612,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"May I ask your indulgence? I, the whippery has met and agreed on a certain form of going forward. Can I ask"},{"start":25612,"end":25624,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Just, just, just hold on. Colleagues, you are back from whippery. Can I listen to the Chair of Chairs? Thank you, Chair of Chairs."},{"start":25624,"end":25645,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, thank you very much. I was asking for your indulgence that now that whippery is done, can we give those whips of political parties just two minutes to brief their caucuses? I'm avoiding a point where whippery agrees, but people still continue outside the agreement of what whippery has agreed upon."},{"start":25645,"end":26181,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. I know some take long to understand. Can I give you five minutes, and then we'll come back? Because you'll ask to re-explain. Councillor Nkonyeni, can you brief your caucus, and all other caucuses brief each other? My caucus can also brief me."},{"start":26181,"end":26181,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, a 65% score is not a badge of honor, it's a call for arms. We are a government that accepts accountability. Let us be clear. While the opposition talks, we are building. We are fixing the structural decay left by the DA administration. We are implementing solutions, not just pointing out problems. We are a government that works."},{"start":26318,"end":26336,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can we find out has the whips now agreed or can they report back?"},{"start":26336,"end":26356,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, can we settle down? Chair of chairs."},{"start":26356,"end":26386,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, honorable speaker, through you as councillor Maila is taking his seat and councillor Mazibuko finishing his sweet coffee latte. Thank you. Honorable speaker, I think we have agreed with Whippery and thank you for allowing them to brief their caucuses."},{"start":26386,"end":26416,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We are good to go. I do not want to speak because we have made that request to the executive already for items that we think and believe should be elevated that we deal with them first, but I will allow the executive to deal with that matter because it falls there. The second request was that the performance assessment or quarterlies should be read, all of them, into record."},{"start":26416,"end":26446,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Then you go back to the first one that you have read and ask caucuses if they want to debate and I see Councillor Avant-Smith through you, speaker, that he is no longer as happy as I was with him, so I hope that his caucus has agreed not to debate any quarterlies so that at least we then you read them, you ask if they are agreeing and then you read recommendations and we move."},{"start":26446,"end":26457,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I mean a lot of councillors that have been told a lot of things, who woke up 3:00 to watch Bafana Bafana, we want to go and rest, thank you."},{"start":26457,"end":26469,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, so the Okay, let me first hear from the acting mayor. Acting mayor."},{"start":26469,"end":26476,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. We request to elevate item 64"},{"start":26476,"end":26477,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes."},{"start":26477,"end":26486,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"67, 76, 77, and 78."},{"start":26486,"end":26492,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"64, 67, 76, 77, 78 be elevated, right?"},{"start":26492,"end":26493,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, ma'am."},{"start":26493,"end":26523,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, which then leaves us with the quarterlies, where we will then read the quarterlies all together and then we will go back and ask who wants to talk on the quarterlies. Uh, but I think according to the Chair of Chairs, caucuses have agreed that no one speaks on the quarterlies. Okay, wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait."},{"start":26523,"end":26536,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Whoever is in disagreement will let us know what they have decided. Is that fine, Chair of Chairs? Okay, Councillor Avant-Smith."},{"start":26536,"end":26545,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh, thank you, Speaker. Um, I will send to you who our speakers will be on those quarterlies. I'll give it to you now."},{"start":26545,"end":26554,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, you'll give us speakers. Munyayi, Councillor Munyayi. Councillor Munyayi."},{"start":26554,"end":26555,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Now, I'm testing the mic."},{"start":26555,"end":26558,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Please, I don't want us not to have mics."},{"start":26558,"end":26559,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Because yesterday there was a problem with our mics, so we want to test."},{"start":26559,"end":26564,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, no, no, please. Today, there's no problem. Please, don't do that. Carry on."},{"start":26564,"end":26577,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, yes, from ActionSA regarding all the performance assessment reports, we'll only have one speaker item 33. He got something"},{"start":26577,"end":26577,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"tn","text":"good nyana"},{"start":26577,"end":26578,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"so we"},{"start":26578,"end":26581,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"So ActionSA only item 33."},{"start":26581,"end":26582,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yeah, only item"},{"start":26582,"end":26583,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And"},{"start":26583,"end":26584,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"33."},{"start":26584,"end":26585,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Pardon?"},{"start":26585,"end":26592,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"33, item 33 to 30, that block of from 33 to 39, only one block, yeah."},{"start":26592,"end":26593,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay."},{"start":26593,"end":26594,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The rest, we are okay."},{"start":26594,"end":26610,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And I also believe that we Did I hear correctly that we are cutting time? Speaking time. Are we cutting the speaking time? Wait. Chair of chairs."},{"start":26610,"end":26637,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, thank you very much honorable speaker. It is advised at the whippery meeting that the time allocated may not be used as according in accordance to what is written here on the paper. So when you say trim, I know that Councillor Maila through you has been through AI trying to write a speech. So we are trying to avoid that so that at least he gets to the point, thank you."},{"start":26637,"end":26646,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Okay, so we are not going to go with that long time. Councillor De Lange, then I'm closing so that we can carry on."},{"start":26646,"end":26676,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. From our side, obviously the elevated items is financial items. For those Councillor Boer will stay. Then in all the quarterlies we are only going to speak on three. I've got a top number, 10 and the subsection of 10, 15, subsection of 15 and 31. So you can just note our Freedom Front speakers on 10, 15 and 31. And the rest we will then leave."},{"start":26676,"end":26676,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Except the elevated items, thank you."},{"start":26676,"end":26679,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay."},{"start":26679,"end":26684,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Dis werk."},{"start":26684,"end":26688,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Munyayi, you are on 33 to 39."},{"start":26688,"end":26690,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker."},{"start":26690,"end":26691,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, sorry."},{"start":26691,"end":26692,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker."},{"start":26692,"end":26713,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thanks, Madam Speaker, I made a blunder again. On the elevated item, item 67, 76, 79, we'll have Councillor Edward. Then she will speak on those item. And then the performance one, the one that I've just spoke to, the block ya 33, we'll have Councillor Ntlemeza. The rest we are okay, thank you."},{"start":26713,"end":26729,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can I Can I ask that you do what the DA did? Write it on a paper, bring it to us. Councillor Mosehla, apologies, jammer, Mosehla."},{"start":26729,"end":26738,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, speaker. Please note that the EFF doesn't have speakers on all the items, thank you."},{"start":26738,"end":26747,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. So the EFF won't be called. Thank you, so can we start?"},{"start":26747,"end":26750,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker."},{"start":26750,"end":26754,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Harris."},{"start":26754,"end":26759,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Just to note that the ACDP will not be speaking on any of the items, thank you."},{"start":26759,"end":26764,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. Councillor Ndlela."},{"start":26764,"end":26769,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Also the ANC will not speak on any of the items, thank you."},{"start":26769,"end":26780,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. Okay. Okay. Councillor PA"},{"start":26780,"end":26783,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"uMokwena"},{"start":26783,"end":26784,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Mokwena."},{"start":26784,"end":26789,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Thank you, Madam Speaker. In all the elevated items,"},{"start":26789,"end":26795,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Hey councillors, we were quiet for you. Thanks, Councillor Mokwena."},{"start":26795,"end":26802,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. On all the elevated items from the PA, no one is speaking, thank you."},{"start":26802,"end":26807,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, councillor. Councillor Magwentshu."},{"start":26807,"end":26811,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, speaker. From the MGP, no one will be speaking, thank you."},{"start":26811,"end":26816,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Councillor Makhuba."},{"start":26816,"end":26822,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, speaker. The IFP won't be speaking on the two items they were supposed to speak to. We won't be speaking anymore."},{"start":26822,"end":26847,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, so you won't be speaking. Thank you. So in essence, it's only the DA and Action that's speaking. Right. Can we then move to the elevated items? Councillor Councillor Zitha. Please."},{"start":26847,"end":26854,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, we We're going to start now. STC."},{"start":26854,"end":26875,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We are on item 64. Item 64 is the amendment of the lease agreement in respect of a portion of Erf 7327 Lenasia Extension 7 in terms of section 116 subsection 3 of the Municipal Finance Management Act of 2003."},{"start":26875,"end":26889,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Just give me mine, the speaker's list."},{"start":26889,"end":26909,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, item 64, DA. Pardon? Councillor Dewes, item 64, DA. Councillor De Lange."},{"start":26909,"end":26919,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Sorry, Madam Speaker, also item 64 for me, please. Yes. Thank you, on 64, thank you."},{"start":26919,"end":26926,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, 64, can you come? Can you give us that, what you said?"},{"start":26926,"end":26931,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I would like to speak on 64 as well. Councillor Boer just reminded me, thank you."},{"start":26931,"end":26934,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You're speaking on Councillor on item 64,"},{"start":26934,"end":26936,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"dankie."},{"start":26936,"end":26944,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, DA Councillor Dewes."},{"start":26944,"end":26976,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to speak on item 64, all protocol observed. Today, council has been asked to extend a lease over a valuable municipal asset with a market value of 65 million for a further 20 years. Yet before us are serious legal, contractual and financial questions that need to be asked. The first question is simple."},{"start":26976,"end":27006,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"What happened to enforcing the conditions of the original lease signed in 1997? The agreement was clear. It contained specific obligations, specific timelines and specific consequences. If the lessee failed to meet those obligations, the lease would be cancelled and the property would revert back to council. That is not my interpretation."},{"start":27006,"end":27036,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"That is what the contract required. Yet here we stand more than 29 years later. Can I repeat that? 29 years later, we are being told that development remains incomplete because of delays in relating to park closure, rezoning and approvals. The very obligations the lessee undertook to fulfill when signing the lease"},{"start":27036,"end":27066,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"in 1997. So if these obligations were not met, the obvious questions are why was the lease not cancelled? Why was the agreement not enforced? Why was the public asset not returned to council as the contract required? The DA's key concerns here is JPC's failure to enforce existing lease conditions. While the proposed lease extension"},{"start":27066,"end":27096,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"may ultimately unlock the completion of the development and the associated community benefits, the matter highlights a more fundamental problem of JPC's failure to adequately enforce the conditions of an existing lease agreement for over 29 years. Development timelines were not enforced, resulting in significant delays between the original approval and the implementation of the project."},{"start":27096,"end":27126,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The city has lost substantial potential revenue through the failure to regularly review and adjust the rental levels to reflect prevailing market conditions over the lease period. Municipal land remained underutilized for extended periods, preventing the city from realizing the full economic and social benefits originally envisaged. Insufficient"},{"start":27126,"end":27156,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"monitoring and reporting mechanisms have allowed non-compliance and project delays to continue for 29 years without timely intervention. The absence of regular performance assessments meant that JPC had limited opportunity to evaluate whether the developer was meeting contractual obligations and development milestones. Please pay attention."},{"start":27156,"end":27186,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The current request effectively seeks to remedy historical shortcomings in the lease administration rather than addressing only the future development potential of the site. The DA want to recommend the following urgent interventions, as we are solution-driven and not just here to raise gross failings and complete lack of consequence management"},{"start":27186,"end":27216,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"by the ruling coalition and in particular Johannesburg Property Company. Simple. Shape up or ship out. JPC must implement stronger governance measures for long-term municipal lease agreements, which should include one, regular compliance audits, two, mandatory development milestones and reporting, three, periodic market-related"},{"start":27216,"end":27246,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"rental reviews, four, performance-based lease monitoring, five, early intervention mechanisms when lease conditions are not being met. I have a copy for the MMC Mnisi if she is truly committed to accountable governance. Most importantly, municipal land is a public asset. Failure to enforce lease conditions not only undermines accountability,"},{"start":27246,"end":27276,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"but also results in direct financial losses to the city and delays the economic and social benefits intended for local communities. Going forward, oversight is required to ensure that municipal assets generate maximum value, sustainable revenue, and tangible community benefits. Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, the DA cannot support this item for the simple reason"},{"start":27276,"end":27306,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"that our request that the item be referred to National Treasury for ratification was ignored as we had legitimate concerns that the lease has been extended on the previous occasions and the Municipal Finance Management Act could have been abused to rectify major JPC failures. I thank you, Madam Speaker."},{"start":27306,"end":27312,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, will it be De Lange or Boer? De Lange."},{"start":27312,"end":27342,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm going to be very short. After looking at this specific extension and I've been partly covered by my colleague Councillor Dewes, it took them 14 years. Now listen to this name, Health and Racquet. Can you actually remember those gyms back in the day when we were still young and fit? It took them when they signed the lease in 1997, it took them 14 years to start that development. Now we are at the end of this specific lease, so I don't think this specific"},{"start":27342,"end":27372,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"organization or company can be trusted with another 20-year extension. Madam Speaker, loss in revenue, let's say that they started developing and the development ended in five years' time and they did what they were supposed to do, we're looking at a 70,000 rand rental. I'm not even talking about the rates and taxes in that. So we're looking at 25 years of loss. So it's very easy. This lease must run its course. This must go back to public participation."},{"start":27372,"end":27405,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And we must open the bids and see if there's anybody in Lenasia that wants to take the remainder of this specific portion and develop it. But this thing about 20 years, 30 leases, Madam Speaker, we are not building a city or a smart city. It's a very small piece of land. And I think this will be to the benefit of the residents of Lenasia if we can give this to a proper development and not a family conglomerate to actually start developing this piece of land. Thank you, Madam Speaker."},{"start":27405,"end":27427,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor De Lange. Can you switch off your mic? That's the only speakers that we have on this item. Thank you. Recommendations are on page 64.8 to 64.9. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":27427,"end":27440,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes. No."},{"start":27440,"end":27471,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can I put it again? I didn't. No. No, I didn't. I didn't put it. I didn't put it the second time. I did not put it. Recommendations on page 64.8 to 64.9, is the item agreed to?"},{"start":27471,"end":27479,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes. No."},{"start":27479,"end":27503,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can you help me? Can you guys help me? Can you help me?"},{"start":27503,"end":27508,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Put it again for the last time. Last time and then we go."},{"start":27508,"end":27519,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes. No. No."},{"start":27519,"end":27525,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, the yeses have it."},{"start":27525,"end":27526,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker."},{"start":27526,"end":27529,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Niemand."},{"start":27529,"end":27539,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, thank you, Speaker. I rise in terms of rule 84 and I would like you to record the DA's opposition to this item and we reserve our rights. Thank you very much."},{"start":27539,"end":27544,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, councillor. You know in this yes and no,"},{"start":27544,"end":27545,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"ne,"},{"start":27545,"end":27557,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"it depends who screams. I'm very serious. It depends who screams, even that side. Councillor De Lange."},{"start":27557,"end":27558,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker,"},{"start":27558,"end":27564,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"ek praat nou nie baie Afrikaans nie, maar ons gaan vir u 'n gehoorstukkie moet kry hoor, want definitief"},{"start":27564,"end":27574,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the noes had it, but please register our dissent, Madam Speaker. This is not the way you build a city. Thank you."},{"start":27574,"end":27575,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay,"},{"start":27575,"end":27579,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"dankie, baie dankie. Ek nodig nie 'n gehoorstuk nie. Baie dankie."},{"start":27579,"end":27584,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can we go to the next item?"},{"start":27584,"end":27598,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We are on item 67 and that's the report on public consultation for the proposed renaming of De Beer Street to Mthokozisi Ntumba Street."},{"start":27598,"end":27616,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Item 67, right? Okay. On item 67, I have Freedom Front Plus speaking. Councillor Boer."},{"start":27616,"end":27650,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm going to be quick. Item 67, it was a tragic incident where Mthokozisi Ntumba, a employee of the City of Tshwane, lost his life in 2021, and the proposal was to put a street name change of De Beer Street and to honor his name. Madam Speaker, the public comments resulted into 1,178 public inputs and of those inputs,"},{"start":27650,"end":27681,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"657 were sort of neutral comments where they say, and it comes out of the report, the commentary on social media primarily focused on issues such as perceived wasteful expenditure, the need for cleaner streets, fixing potholes and traffic lights, and a general call for improved service delivery. And they were suggesting that we rather spend our money on those primary issues than on changing the name of a street, and it is"},{"start":27681,"end":27713,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"tragic that somebody has to lose his life in a protest action, but to listen to the positive comments of only 37% of the respondents and to say now we go ahead to change the name of the street is just not on. If we do this totally according to the democratic process, we must listen to the neutral comments and say rather spend our money to improve the lives of our residents, the ones that are still alive and not honor the dead"},{"start":27713,"end":27732,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"in a tragic incident. So we are against this report and we cannot waste our money, although the report said it will cost JRA only 40,000 rand to change all the names. That is wishful thinking. Thank you, Madam Speaker."},{"start":27732,"end":27734,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Dankie, Raadslid Boer."},{"start":27734,"end":27738,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We don't have any other speakers on this."},{"start":27738,"end":27741,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker."},{"start":27741,"end":27755,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Councillor Lurie, I don't have a speaker for DA on this, Councillor Mazibuko. I don't have a speaker for item 67."},{"start":27755,"end":27760,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We did submit, Speaker, and Councillor Nkwanyana is speaking on the item."},{"start":27760,"end":27775,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"This is your list. I don't have your list of Okay. Okay. Uh-uh. Who's speaking?"},{"start":27775,"end":27777,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Nkwanyana, Speaker."},{"start":27777,"end":27778,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Nkwanyana."},{"start":27778,"end":27779,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker."},{"start":27779,"end":27783,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Nkwanyana."},{"start":27783,"end":27803,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I will not take a lot of your time, but I rise to speak on item 67, the proposal to rename De Beer Street in Ward 60 Braamfontein in honor of Mthokozisi Ntumba, and the DA is not supporting this item. I thank you very much."},{"start":27803,"end":27818,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Nkwanyana. So that's the only speakers that we have, right? The recommendations on page 76.4, is the item agreed to?"},{"start":27818,"end":27829,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes. No."},{"start":27829,"end":27843,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillors. Councillors. Councillors, it's on page 67.6. Councillor Niemand."},{"start":27843,"end":27848,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, this item requires the MMC to close it before you ask us to"},{"start":27848,"end":27849,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Oh, apologies."},{"start":27849,"end":27850,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much."},{"start":27850,"end":27861,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor Niemand. Who's closing for Apologies."},{"start":27861,"end":27866,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Die dag is lank."},{"start":27866,"end":27867,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You are tired, neh?"},{"start":27867,"end":27869,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Mevrou."},{"start":27869,"end":27899,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Speaker, the public consultation process actually is a demonstration of participation, giving communities the right for their voices to be heard, and the substantial support for the renaming of this proposal, and the presentation to council is an opportunity for us to honor Mthokozisi Ntumba's legacy while acknowledging broader community concerns regarding service delivery. We accept that and"},{"start":27899,"end":27925,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"the figure that has been indicated to actually do the renaming is 40,000 rand. And I think what is important is that for public memory and for restorative justice, and while also understanding that we must also support this for social cohesion, we ask council to approve this report."},{"start":27925,"end":27952,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Ay, Lord. Thank you so much. No, I switched on the mic. No, I didn't do it by accident. Thank you so much, Deputy Executive Mayor. The recommendations is on page 67.6. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":27952,"end":27974,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes. No."},{"start":27974,"end":27981,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Now, colleagues. Councillor Smit."},{"start":27981,"end":27994,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You just need to deal with that councillor at the back, but the nos have it, colleagues."},{"start":27994,"end":27999,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Mosehla."},{"start":28001,"end":28004,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We are we are asking for division of the house, Speaker."},{"start":28004,"end":28056,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Perfect."},{"start":28056,"end":28176,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, can we can we hit the drums?"},{"start":28176,"end":28184,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, colleagues, can we start then?"},{"start":28184,"end":28196,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Boer, negotiations. Uh can we then now start with those that says abstains?"},{"start":28196,"end":28199,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No abstaining."},{"start":28199,"end":28315,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Those that say no."},{"start":28315,"end":28327,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You can drop your hands."},{"start":28327,"end":28362,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can I see the yeses?"},{"start":28362,"end":28365,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor,"},{"start":28365,"end":28367,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"hhayi la."},{"start":28367,"end":28374,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor, people are voting and you are not interested in voting."},{"start":28374,"end":28539,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, no, no, I'm just I'm I'm looking at everyone."},{"start":28539,"end":28599,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Quorum, quorum."},{"start":28599,"end":28609,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You can lower your hands, colleagues."},{"start":28609,"end":28612,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Is this 49? 49."},{"start":28612,"end":28622,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, there's Hhayi, your hand is still up. Zero"},{"start":28622,"end":28639,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"There's zero abstain, 49 nos, 92 yes. So, the item is carried."},{"start":28639,"end":28641,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Bittkau, did you hear?"},{"start":28641,"end":28653,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh councillors, Councillor Niemand. Councillor Zitha! Councillor Zitha!"},{"start":28653,"end":28658,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I know your voice."},{"start":28658,"end":28660,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Niemand."},{"start":28660,"end":28667,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, in terms of Rule 84, please uh record the DA's opposition to this item. Thank you, Madam Speaker."},{"start":28667,"end":28676,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Do I take both, uh Freedom Front Plus?"},{"start":28676,"end":28695,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, um this is a financial item because it's costing COJ 250 rand and it's costing JRA 40,000 rand. So, this is a financial item, so we need 136 votes. Thank you very much."},{"start":28695,"end":28698,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, Councillor Boer."},{"start":28698,"end":28706,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Baie, baie verkeerd, Councillor Boer. Jy gaan nou nie vir my so slaan nie."},{"start":28706,"end":28712,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillors, so the item is carried. Can we go to the next one?"},{"start":28712,"end":28723,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Item 76 is a Group Strategic Supply Chain Management Operational Status Report for the period 1st January 2026 to the 31st of March 2026."},{"start":28723,"end":28751,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Item 76, we have the DA speaking. Um I'm not sure who's speaking on behalf of the DA. Councillor Pietersen. And remember, councillors, we also said the 8 minutes or the 5 minutes that we have, we try to make it less. No, man. You That That councillor at the back."},{"start":28751,"end":28890,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. I know your comment was purely sincere and not an attempt to suppress me. But Item 76, the Group Strategic Supply Chain Management Operational Status Report for the third quarter. As with every quarter, this report is meant to be a diagnostic tool, one that should reveal whether the system is stabilizing and where the same structural weakness weaknesses continue to repeat themselves. Procurement activities, again, numbers without a story. The report reflects direct purchases of 6.03 billion for the quarter, a dramatic jump from 105 billion in quarter two. The average value per order has climbed from 385,000 to 2.57 million. Stock purchases have also rebounded to 12 million after the previous quarter's decline. But Speaker, numbers without narrative do not help us govern. We still do not know whether the spike reflects improved efficiency, delayed procurement catching up, or something else entirely. Um the absence of analysis leaves us with some unanswered questions raised in the previous quarters. Activity is not the same as improvement. The stores and inventory, the infamous Smit Street and the 26 million rand question. The Smit Street store remains a governance red flag. Stock value, largely ink cartridges, now sits at 83.2 million, and for the third quarter in a row, 26.2 million is marked for deletion. Um many of these ink cartridges are for printers that the city does not own. This matter has been referred to Carte Blanche and GFIS. And this councillor will be asking MPAC to keep a close eye on the investigation. The investigation is welcome, and the consequence management report will make for interesting reading. It must be noted that no stock was written off this quarter, and the volume of obsolete and redundant stock remains a systemic risk. I take this opportunity to remind this house that disposal must follow MFMA and SCM regulations, whether by auction, tender, donation, or trade-in. I had a look at the joburg.org webpage and I was not able to find a section that shares asset disposal events with the public. Transparency is not optional. I would like to add that I'm not aware of any asset disposal mechanisms within this great city or once great City of Johannesburg, which is rather unusual given the size of our budget."},{"start":28890,"end":29162,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Contracts and bids, delays, gaps, and a blank CIDB report. Please note that uh acronym. It's going to be coming up a lot in the future. Four bids were advertised, three closed, and one cancelled. Yet more bids were approved than closed. That mismatch raises questions about process integrity. Contract award delays continue to undermine service delivery, including at critical sites such as the Johannesburg International Transport Interchange. I wish our uh enigmatic um MMC of Transport was here um cuz he was crying about the taxi ranks uh being advanced, but JITI still sits there empty, 9 years into the project being finished, and it's now being pulled apart. If you wonder why so many taxis are on our roads, that's why. Uh uh So, this councillor has been informed about agreements with taxi associations associations, that is when the 300 million JITI intermodal transport hub is going When is it going to be operationalized? This grand construction, having been mothballed for 5 years, is now being vandalized. Another example of the willingness of this council to spend ratepayer money and tax revenue without implementing the operational plan, if such a plan exists. Now, moving to a very important blind spot that slips through on these reports quarter after quarter. I'm referring to Annexure D, being the recurring blank CIDB report. CIDB compliance is a legal requirement, not an administrative afterthought. The absence of construction bids and incomplete reporting weakens oversight and stalls transformation. The CIDB Register of Projects, also known as RoP, is the national database where all government construction projects must be recorded before work begins. Personally, I've never seen one of these. It creates a transparent audit trail of what is being bought, by whom, for how much, and under which CIDB grading. And AGSA checks it every year. For the benefit of councillors who sit in Governance, EISD, and Transport, these reports should be tabled in your respective committees. CIDB stands for Construction Industry Development Board. It is a national statutory body created under the CIDB Act 38 of 2000 to regulate, professionalize, and develop the construction industry of South Africa. It is a mandatory national register of all public sector construction projects. Every municipality, including COJ, must register qualifying construction projects on the Register of Projects, also known as RoP. This includes roads, water and sanitation, electricity, infrastructure, buildings, any construction-related works. This links directly to project registration duties. A compliance requirement before site handover. A project must be registered before construction starts, and the registration must include project value, project description, contractor details, contractor CIDB grade, start and end dates. Again, we don't see this information. Failure to register equals non-compliance and often irregular expenditure. That basically makes all of our projects irregular, unless somebody can pull out this report. A tool for monitoring contractor performance and project progress. The RoP allows CIDB and AGSA to track whether the contractor is correctly graded, whether the project value changes, whether timelines are updated, whether the project is completed and closed. This would be so fantastically useful for in our in our committees. This links AGSA's CIDB assessment. Number four, a national transparency and anti-corruption mechanism. Can you imagine? The RoP prevents ghost projects, unregistered site handovers, awards to unqualified contractors, manipulation of project values. It creates a public audit trail that AGSA, Treasury, and the public can scrutinize. Number five, a legal requirement under the CIDB Act and regulations. If COJ does not register a project, it violates the CIDB Act. It triggers SCM non-compliance. That means we are probably 100% non-compliant as far as our construction procurement is concerned. It may result in irregular expenditure. Officials may face financial misconduct. This links MFMA irregular expenditure rules. The CIDB Register of Projects is a national database where COJ must register every construction project to prove legality, grading compliance, and audit transparency. It is unfathomable why the City of Johannesburg is not complying with this requirement in direct violation of SCM regulations."},{"start":29162,"end":29208,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Moving on. MMC Kenny Kunene lamented the issue on the radio yesterday of expiring contracts in JRA. If he looks at the Annexure E of Item 76, he will find a transport contract expiring next week. Just a tip. Portfolios must table expiring contracts proactively to avoid last-minute renewals. Okay, and moving on. I was going to say to be fair, but the DA recommends consequence management, disposal management, bid process integrity, CIDB compliance, contract oversight. Johannesburg deserves a supply chain system that is transparent, efficient, and accountable, unlike ActionSA who has endorsed the failing ANC. The DA takes accountability seriously and will build procurement environment worthy of our residents. I thank you, Speaker."},{"start":29208,"end":29271,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Councillor. Chair of Chairs. Chair of Chairs, can you please come here? Um and then you'll call the next speaker."},{"start":29271,"end":29275,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Ungasusuki lapho Mphathi."},{"start":29275,"end":29290,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank thank you very much, uh councillors. May I kindly ask uh Councillor Edward from ActionSA to come through."},{"start":29290,"end":29596,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. I rise on Item 76. Today, council is is asked merely to note reports relating to supply chain management, procurement activities, deviations, ratifications, and tender awards within the City of Joburg. The Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, has warned that he might halt the transfer of funds to the City of Johannesburg and invoke Section 216(2) of the Constitution. This self-inflicted wound must be blamed squarely on the incompetence and uncaring administration led by the ANC. However, these reports and the minister's warnings are about far more than procurement processes and expenditure figures. And they are they're about whether this government of local unity is capable of protecting the public purse while delivering services to the residents who fund this municipality through their rates and taxes. Speaker, public trust is in government is declining. Residents no longer judge this council by the number of reports tabled or committee meetings held. Speaker, during this quarter alone, direct purchases amounted to over 6 billion. Year to date, direct procurement spending now exceeds 8.5 billion. When a municipality spends billions of rands, every councillor has a duty to ask fundamental questions. Are residents receiving value for money? Because every rand spent by the city is not government money; it is public money. It belongs to the hardworking residents of Johannesburg. Residents Our responsibility as public representatives is not merely to approve expenditure, but to ensure that expenditure translate into service delivery outcomes. Good governance is measured by how much money is not measured by how much money is spent. Speaker, this report indicates that stock valued at more than 26 million rand has been marked for deletion and referred to Group Forensic Investigation Services for further investigation. This should concern each and every member in this chamber. 26 million rand worth of public assets requiring forensic investigation is not a minor administrative matter. It is a warning sign. It raises serious questions about our internal controls as a city, about asset management, about procurement oversight, and accountability in the city. Residents deserve answers. How did these assets end up in this position? Who was responsible for safeguarding them? Were procurement procedures followed? Was there negligence? Was there misconduct? And when will council receive the findings and recommendations arising from these investigations? Forensic investigations should not become a substitute for accountability. They should lead to accountability. The public has grown tired of investigations. Our residents are tired of investigations that only generate reports, but fail to generate consequence management and consequences. Speaker, ActionSA calls for consequence management. Residents need to know that there are consequences for negligence, waste, corruption, and maladministration. Without consequences management, governance becomes meaningless. Speaker, the report further indicates that 19 contracts and service providers panels are due to expire within the next financial cycle. This is another governance concern. Where contracts are allowed to approach expiry without adequate preparation, deviations become more likely. Emergency procurement becomes more likely, and opportunities for waste and abuse of resources increase. The Auditor-General has repeatedly warned municipalities that poor contract management contributes significantly to irregular expenditure and governance failures. Johannesburg cannot continue operating in a reactive mode. We need a culture of proactive planning and sound administration. Speaker, the report on deviations and ratifications may appear relatively small: three deviations and only two ratifications. But deviations should never become routine. Every deviation represents a departure from normal competitive procurement processes. While legislation provides legislative exceptions, Speaker, we have a problem of decline in Johannesburg, which is not a financial problem, but a governance problem. Residents do not want excuses. They want the city that gives them value. They want a reliable service delivery. They want assurance that every rand collected from them is being used efficiently, honestly, and effectively."},{"start":29596,"end":29598,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Time up."},{"start":29598,"end":29603,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Speaker."},{"start":29603,"end":29619,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, uh Councillor Edward. Member in charge, I see Councillor Maswazi, you may close up."},{"start":29619,"end":29623,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, uh MMC Masuku."},{"start":29623,"end":29630,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much. The comments are noted, uh Chair of Chairs."},{"start":29630,"end":29636,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Recommendations are on page 76.4. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":29636,"end":29640,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Agreed!"},{"start":29640,"end":29650,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much. Um the Speaker is coming back to her honorable seat. Thank you."},{"start":29650,"end":29656,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, the yes have it. Thank you."},{"start":29656,"end":29667,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I can give him the seat to sit here."},{"start":29667,"end":29678,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Cuz he doesn't know all your voices. Item what?"},{"start":29678,"end":29680,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Chair of Chairs."},{"start":29680,"end":29699,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"We proceed with Item 77, and that is the Group Strategic Supply Chain Management Deviation and Ratification Report that were considered and approved by the accounting officer for the period of the 1st January 2026 to the 31st of March 2026."},{"start":29699,"end":29709,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Edward from ActionSA."},{"start":29709,"end":29721,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. DA, no, no, no, no speakers, right? Okay. The"},{"start":29721,"end":29724,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"MMC Masuku."},{"start":29724,"end":29728,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Um Speaker, Speaker, I am on the list, yeah."},{"start":29728,"end":29732,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Pietersen, but I don't have it."},{"start":29732,"end":29735,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I think you got yesterday's."},{"start":29735,"end":29741,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, okay. But then you must give me then you must give me the name of the speaker."},{"start":29741,"end":29747,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The name is there."},{"start":29747,"end":29752,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, colleagues, you can't do that. Councillor Pietersen, you can go."},{"start":29752,"end":29781,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. Um I don't want to delay the proceedings here, but we consider Item 77, the Deviation Ratification Report for the third quarter 2026. In doing so, I draw on the structure and lessons of previous debates to highlight both the persistent challenges and the positive developments in our governance and procurement practices. The context basically is deviation and ratification reports are not an"},{"start":29781,"end":29813,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"administrative box-ticking exercise. They are governance signals. They are indicators of where our systems are working, where they are failing, and where urgent ref- uh reform is needed. As we approach the next budget cycle, the patterns in this report must inform our priorities and actions. The positive trends across the reports um emerge, and that is legal compliance and transparency. The city continues to comply with Regulation 36(2) of the Municipal Su- Supply Chain Management Regulations,"},{"start":29813,"end":29843,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"ensuring that all deviations are reported to council and included in the annual financial statements. This is a critical foundation for transparency. The involvement of Group Finance, Legal, and Contracts departments in drafting these reports demonstrates a commitment to due process and oversight. Number two, um positive: Business continuity and service delivery. Several deviations, such as the appointment of Telkom for integrated communication services and Microsoft for digital transformation, were justified on the grounds of maintaining"},{"start":29843,"end":29869,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"essential services and business continuity. These decisions, while not ideal, prevented service disruptions and would have negatively impacted residents and operations. Budgetary discipline: All deviations reported had approved budget provisions. No deviation was approved without ensuring that funds were available, reflecting a measure of fiscal discipline. Congratulations. However, negative trends and recurring challenges."},{"start":29869,"end":29899,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"These positives are overshadowed by persistent negative trends that have been highlighted repeatedly, not only in this report, but also in previous Items 07 and 43 in the previous quarters. Overreliance on deviations and emergency procurement. The continued use of deviations as a routine tool rather than an exception signals systemic weaknesses in planning and contract management, as the Auditor-General has warned. Deviation from competitive bidding processes"},{"start":29899,"end":29926,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"should be the exception, not the norm. In my previous speeches, we saw how emergency procurement in the transport sector uh led to unsustainable financial models. Similar patterns emerge in ICT, finance, and healthcare services. Number two, poor planning and self-created urgency. Several deviations stem from foreseeable needs, such as communication services, software licensing, and health facility maintenance."},{"start":29926,"end":29952,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"These are not surprises that creep up on us. These are these are contract-managed um supply issues that should be implemented long before the contracts run out. And uh lack of corrective measures and accountability. While reports note compliance and transparency, they often lack concrete corrective action to prevent recurrence. For instance, the Telkom deviation recommends that new procurement must must start without delay."},{"start":29952,"end":29979,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"But there is little evidence of consequence management or systemic reform. The Auditor-General calls for accountability that includes corrective actions remains largely unmet. Incomplete and vague reporting: As seen in Item 43 previously, incomplete descriptions and missing corrective action undermine the credibility of our reports. In Item 77, some annexures lack detail on the pre- on the period covered or the specific corrective steps taken."},{"start":29979,"end":30009,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Governance and oversight gaps: The premature removal of committee chairs and the inability of oversight committees to meet, as noted in Item 43 previously, further weakens our governance framework. Residents and businesses are shortchanged when oversight is compromised. Some examples from Item 77: The uh Telkom appointment, 60 million. The city justified the deviation to avoid disruption of communication services, but the underlying issue was a failure to plan co- contract expiry"},{"start":30009,"end":30036,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and legal ambiguities regarding Telkom's status as an organ of state. The corrective measure to seek legal advice and start new procurement is reactive, not pro- proactive. The Microsoft procurement, 200 million: The deviation enabled digital transformation, but again, reliance on direct appointments rather than competitive bidding raises questions about value for money and long-term sustainability. The loan funding, 4 billion: The deviation allowed the city to secure concessional funding"},{"start":30036,"end":30064,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"for capital projects, a positive step for infrastructure investment. However, the pro-pes process bypassed competitive procurement, highlighting the need for better long-term financial planning. Health Department breaches: Both Women's Heritage Day event and facility maintenance were delivered before contracts were finalized, resulting in after the ratifica- after the fact ratification. This is a textbook example of self-created urgency and poor internal controls."},{"start":30064,"end":30092,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"What must change? The DA recommends: Drawing on the lessons from all three reports, I propose the following actionable steps. Restore competitive procurement as the norm, implement proactive corrective measures, strengthen oversight and accountability, enhance internal capacity, transparent and complete reporting. And I conclude, Speaker: The issues raised in Item 77 are not new. They echo the warnings and recommendations of previous reports and the Auditor-General."},{"start":30092,"end":30120,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"While there are positive signs of compliance and a commitment to service delivery, the overuse of deviations, poor planning, and weak accountability threaten the integrity and sustainability of our procurement sy- system, and ultimately the City of Johannesburg. After the November election, the DA, the Democratic Alliance, believes that public money must be spent as carefully as residents spend money from their own households. Every deviation must be justified,"},{"start":30120,"end":30143,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"every contract must deliver value, and every official responsible for procurement failures must be held accountable. The DA, under the steady hand of Gogo Zille, will build a procurement system that is competitive, transparent, accountable, and one that delivers value for money and earns the trust of our residents. I thank you, Speaker."},{"start":30143,"end":30151,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, I okay, MMC, and then I want to say something after that."},{"start":30151,"end":30178,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, indeed, deviations must be um have uh justifiable reasons. And indeed, the Telkom integrated communication services would have disrupted uh our municipal communication system um and service delivery, so it is justifiable uh for and that is was the 60 million. The Microsoft Azure marketplace service um for the value of uh 200 million,"},{"start":30178,"end":30204,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"it's justifiable on the basis that um Microsoft is the original equipment manufacturer and provider ex- ex- um in terms of municipal ICT platforms. The 4 billion KfW loan, as well as the IFC loan for 1 billion, also justifiable because it's um it's approved to finance infrastructure and capital expenditure programs under the MTREF. Um"},{"start":30204,"end":30235,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"we ac- we we agree, Speaker, that it's important that we while regulations um do permit Regulation 36 does permit um deviations, but we're very clear as the ANC-led Government of Local Unity that we need to reduce reliance on procurement de- deviations, unless of course justifiable, as I've just indicated. We will strengthen procurement compliance controls, we will improve on planning and contract management,"},{"start":30235,"end":30262,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and ensure timeous initiation of procurement processes. The City Manager and the Group uh Chief Financial Officer are clear uh together with all their executives in terms of these non-negotiables, so that we strengthen the contract management and enhance oversight of large-value deviations, so that these approvals are not just a by the way, as much as it's for noting, but it's important that the administration also understands that"},{"start":30262,"end":30291,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"deviations are approved merely on um uh continuity, like I indicated, for technology requirements and the infrastructure financing by the uh KfW and IFC loan. And we also um are clear that this is part and parcel of our commitment of good governance and transparency and accountability, because if we were not accountable as the ANC-led Government of Local Unity, if we were not transparent, we wouldn't be bringing these reports to council."},{"start":30291,"end":30305,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"But uh we bringing these reports to council because of our commitment to good governance and ensuring that we are transparent, and only under exceptional procurement measures, then you do deviations. Thank you, Speaker. We ask council to note."},{"start":30305,"end":30316,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, Acting Mayor. The recommendations on page 77.3. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":30316,"end":30317,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Agreed."},{"start":30317,"end":30328,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you. Next item, councillor. Councillor Avant-Smith."},{"start":30328,"end":30339,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Um Speaker, after this item, could we just have a couple of minutes with the whippery, please? Just two minutes after the whippery. Thank you."},{"start":30339,"end":30351,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Item 78. Oh, sorry. See, now I'm becoming the SCC as well. SCC."},{"start":30351,"end":30368,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh on Item 78, councillors, uh it's a Group Strategic Supply Chain Management Acquisition Status Report reflecting bids considered and approved by the Accounting Officer for the period of the of 1st January 2026 to 31st March 2026."},{"start":30378,"end":30381,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Pietersen."},{"start":30381,"end":30407,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. I'm sure this must be your favorite part of the council. Um dear honorable members, I rise to speak on Item 78. Um I just want to allude to the res- response um the reports, the information that is given to us is not a favor granted to us by the um ruling party. This is legislated and it is a requirement,"},{"start":30407,"end":30434,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"which I think I've made very clear in the speeches. So it's guided by the principles of the Municipal Financial Management Act and Consequence Management booklet and the latest circulars on supply chain management. Overview on the positive trends: The city supply chain management committees have demonstrated a commitment to transparency by documenting all approved bids for the for the third quarter. This aligns with the MFMA's requirement for open and accountable financial management."},{"start":30434,"end":30461,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Notably, there's been an improvement in timely publication of procurement decisions and a reduction in administrative dela- delays. This is to be welcomed and this reflects positively on our governance reforms. Again, however, the areas of concern and negative trends outweighs the positives, and I'll begin. Um inadequate bid evaluation: There are instances where bid evaluation criteria were inconsistently applied,"},{"start":30461,"end":30488,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"risking non-compliance with the MF- MA Section 112, which mandates fair, equitable, transparent, competitive, and cost-effective processes. Transparency gaps: Some procurement decisions lack detailed justifications, echoing concerns raised in speech five previously in a previous quarter about the need for more impact-focused reporting. This undermines public trust and weakens accountability. Supplier due diligence:"},{"start":30488,"end":30513,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The findings on the LK Centrix are particularly troubling. Despite being awarded a million rand a month market intelligence contract, LK Centrix's capabilities and track record remain questionable. A critical assessment in supporting documentation raises doubts about their suitability and the robustness of our vetting process. So, a case study for enhanced scrutiny, LK Centrix:"},{"start":30513,"end":30542,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The awarding of a significant contract to this company, despite clear reservations about their capacity, highlights a systemic risk, as outlined in the Consequence Booklet. Failure to exercise due diligence can result in financial losses and reputational damage. The MFMA and Circular Number 52 explicitly prohibit restrictive practices and require municipalities to prevent collusive bidding and ensure supplier suitability. We must ask: Are we truly upholding these standards?"},{"start":30542,"end":30570,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"The LK Centrix matter raises a simple question: If concerns existed regarding the company's capabilities and track record, why was a contract worth 1 million rand per month, totaling just over 37 million, awarded in the first place? Residents have a right to expect that every supplier appointed by the city has been properly vetted and can deliver value for money. And if we can add a closing DA message: The DA will continue to fight for a city where contracts are awarded fairly,"},{"start":30570,"end":30596,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"suppliers are properly vetted, and officials are held accountable for their decisions. Johannesburg residents deserve a government that treats every rand as if it comes from its own pocket. Accountability and remedies: The MFMA and Consequence Booklet provides clear remedies for procurement irregularities, including disciplinary action, contract cancellation, and recovery of losses. It is imperative and that these remedies are not only available, but actively enforced."},{"start":30596,"end":30625,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Where the gaps are identi- where gra- where gaps are identified, such as in the LK Centrix case, swift corrective action must follow. The DA recommends: We need to strengthen bid evaluation. Standardize and document evaluation criteria for all bids to ensure consistency and compliance. We need to enhance transparency. Require detailed this means requiring detailed justifications for all procurement decisions, as advocated in my previous speech."},{"start":30625,"end":30651,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Supplier vetting: Um this means implement more rigorous due diligence, especially for high-value contracts, to prevent unsuitable suppliers from being appointed. And lastly, enforce consequences. We hear a lot about consequence management, even one of our MMCs referred to it yesterday. Apply the remedies outlined in the MFMA and Consequence Booklet without delay when irregularities are detected. In concluding,"},{"start":30651,"end":30666,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I call on our voters to show council that good governance matters and vote for a DA government that is committed to the principles of the MFMA, transparency, accountability, and value for money. I thank you, Speaker."},{"start":30666,"end":30669,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Acting Executive Mayor."},{"start":30669,"end":30696,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you very much, uh Madam Speaker. This report confirms that all bids were evaluated and adjudicated in accordance with the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act and the Municipal Supply Chain Management Regulations. And this report is a governance and a compliance report, so it demonstrates our transparency and our ability to take council into confidence and so that there's oversight on procurement decisions that the administration would have made,"},{"start":30696,"end":30725,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"and decisions that are taken under the delegated authority, and to promote the transparency and public procurement process that Councillor Pietersen is referring to. This uh uh uh report, Speaker, is indeed important because it gives us an idea um of what is procured, how it was procured, and all the three reports that we did um that we elevated are a a signal of our commitment to good governance"},{"start":30725,"end":30754,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"as the Government of Local Unity. And we will continue to promote greater competition in strategic procurement processes and enhance monitoring of contract implementation and supplier performance, and of course, also regularly review procurement outcomes to identify efficiency improvements, so that as we continue to do this work, we strengthen our procurement planning and to improve the value for money on everything that we procure as the City of Johannesburg."},{"start":30754,"end":30774,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And the City Manager, the Group CFO, and their teams at EMT are well uh capable of ensuring that this is done because we're very clear as the ANC-led Government of Local Unity: good governance, financial sustainability, and uh transparency in everything that we do. We ask council to note the report."},{"start":30774,"end":30784,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much, uh Executive Deputy Mayor. Recommendations are on pages 78.3. Is the item agreed to?"},{"start":30784,"end":30786,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Agreed."},{"start":30786,"end":30801,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you so much. Um is it two minutes or three minutes? Two. Okay, you are back in yeah. Can the whippery go? Two minutes."},{"start":30805,"end":30807,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Mhm?"},{"start":31049,"end":31067,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Chair of Chairs and whips, your two minutes is over. No, no, no, your two minutes is over. No, uh-uh, some of us didn't sleep. You don't play with my sleep and my money, yoh."},{"start":31088,"end":31115,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I I would I would ask that we are seated. I would ask that we are seated, but I also want to do a headcount to see whether we still quorate, because I see we are slowly, but slowly dwindling out of numbers. And tomorrow it will be said we are taking decisions without quorating."},{"start":31115,"end":31139,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"And I don't want that to happen. So if you know your neighbor has gone to the ladies or the gents, please tell them to come in so that we are able to maybe do a headcount and that we can see. Um legal, can we sit on our seats so that we can be counted?"},{"start":31139,"end":31143,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Miskien moet ek dit in Afrikaans vra."},{"start":31143,"end":31145,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can we sit?"},{"start":31145,"end":31148,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"Hlalani phansi."},{"start":31148,"end":31151,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"af","text":"Hulle moet sit."},{"start":31151,"end":31156,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay, you are going to be counted now. Can you go and count, guys?"},{"start":31156,"end":31158,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, ma'am."},{"start":31286,"end":31311,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Oh, okay. Can I then have a report back? The whips. Councillor Avant-Smith, you and uh Chair of Chairs asked for the for the caucus. So can we hear your caucus or your whippery?"},{"start":31311,"end":31317,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. We uh did speak to all the whips and we can carry on. Thank you."},{"start":31317,"end":31322,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Chair of Chairs, is that what it is?"},{"start":31322,"end":31324,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes, it is a reflection of what was discussed. Thank you."},{"start":31324,"end":31334,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay. Let's just hear the numbers here. It's a true reflection of the meeting of whippery."},{"start":31423,"end":31430,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Munyayi, if the mics don't work, we are going to tax you."},{"start":31430,"end":31441,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Aish, Speaker, aish, my salary is too small, so you can't tax me. Uh Speaker, even from ActionSA, uh we are just withdrawing uh all our speakers, so aish."},{"start":31441,"end":31441,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Okay."},{"start":31441,"end":31442,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yeah."},{"start":31442,"end":31443,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I just want to hear whether we"},{"start":31443,"end":31445,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I hope the DA will do the same."},{"start":31445,"end":31451,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I just want to hear whether we quorate, right? What's the numbers, colleagues?"},{"start":31464,"end":31474,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You know the beautiful part of it, neh? We are counting here, but there are people outside."},{"start":31474,"end":31484,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"But then if we if we if we don't get them, we don't form a quorum inside. We are 114 inside here."},{"start":31495,"end":31497,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Uh-oh, wait."},{"start":31518,"end":31545,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, what we have left is all our quarterlies. And unfortunately, we are only 114 inside here when we are counting ourselves. And the other problem is Councillor Marais, and the problem is that we're walking in now."},{"start":31545,"end":31558,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"So we we we we will let you know how we are going to do the quarterlies. Councillor Mosehla."},{"start":31558,"end":31578,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you, Speaker. I think you mentioned that there are people outside, and I'm suggesting that you ring the bell for the people to come back, we do the counting, we satisfy ourselves. The decision you are going to make uh must be informed by the number of people that are here. Please."},{"start":31578,"end":31581,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"You are correct, councillor, but it's"},{"start":31581,"end":31607,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"also shows that we are ill-disciplined because people that are sitting outside are people that are leaders. So we're going to ring the bell for the last time and we are going to count and that's it. It can't be that we are doing this if we are going to vote. Let's ring the bell."},{"start":31616,"end":31630,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, no, no. Let's We're going to call the people and then if we quorate, we'll do something. But we can't Councillor Belinda, you're going out. We're going to be 113 now. No, no. We are counting."},{"start":31836,"end":31853,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, this is our last attempt. Can we be seated now? And can we count ourselves? It is the very last attempt. Councillor Kyle, sit down."},{"start":31864,"end":31866,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Thank you."},{"start":31871,"end":31881,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"There are councillors that have asked to leave at 6:00 and they can't even leave. They can't leave because we are ill-disciplined."},{"start":31910,"end":31918,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Please don't ask for a body break. Please."},{"start":31918,"end":31945,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"People People asked People asked for leaving early before. There was leave of absence from them. No, there was leave of absence. The mayor had a leave of absence. MMC Mnisi had a leave of absence. MMC Mgcina's out of the country. MMC"},{"start":31945,"end":31975,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"MMC Kunene asked to leave early. MMC Health asked to leave, so there's five. MMC Amad said he's coming late and he's leaving early. It's six. MMC Zungu came late and said he's leaving early, so it's seven, eight, nine. There's one that I didn't count, but all of them had asked. The chief whip became sick, and he had to leave the same way that we had another councillor on this side that became sick."},{"start":31975,"end":31985,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"I'm saying we People asked to go. Deputy mayor asked to leave at 6:00. She's still sitting."},{"start":31989,"end":31991,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"No, it's fine."},{"start":32004,"end":32008,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"It's okay. Let's see where we counted."},{"start":32014,"end":32018,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay. Ooh."},{"start":32028,"end":32033,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Marais, Councillor Marais."},{"start":32053,"end":32059,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Councillor Marais, I think you need Allergex, neh? And you'll keep quiet."},{"start":32064,"end":32067,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Can we see what the counting is like?"},{"start":32104,"end":32112,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Colleagues, you can start packing up. We're 119. But"},{"start":32112,"end":32133,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"but we are going to let you know how we are going to deal with these quarterlies, whether they come back in the next meeting, which is in August, or whether we'll have a special one to get our quarterlies done. You are"},{"start":32133,"end":32165,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Ay, man. There's an announcement. We go on We go on recess from the 29th of this month, 29th of this month up until the 20th of July. But because we did not finish, we would probably call a special sitting to do that. No, no, no. Uh-uh. No. Thank you, colleagues."},{"start":32165,"end":32167,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Yes?"},{"start":32179,"end":32181,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Try the next one."},{"start":32184,"end":32189,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"zu","text":"[inaudible] IT? Awutshekhi ne IT lapha, Frans."},{"start":32196,"end":32212,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Huh? Recess, yes, 29th to 20th of July. We are done. The meeting has been adjourned. Yeah, you see, we don't listen."},{"start":32212,"end":32216,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Madam Speaker, I just wanted to notify the house"},{"start":32218,"end":32221,"video":"cq27XSi2e-w","lang":"en","text":"Please serve three terms in this house, strong."}]}