This week in council · 28 May 2025 to 29 May 2025

Council approves 2025/26 medium-term budget, 144 for and 104 against

The Budget Speech sittings of 28 and 29 May 2025: the MMC for Finance's R89.4 billion budget speech, the debate, and votes on four budget items.

By Said in Council (AI draft from the record)5 November 2026

AI draft.Written by Claude Opus 5.5 from this site's record of 2 sittings, not by a reporter, and not checked by a person. Code checked every sentence: it cites the moments it rests on, and any sentence with a number or name not in those moments was dropped. Click a link to check it yourself.

How the four budget items went

At the Budget Speech sitting of 29 May 2025, council approved Item 3, the 2025/26-2027/28 medium-term budget read with items 3A to 3F, by 144 votes for and 104 against. 29 May 05:58:35 29 May 06:55:47 The Item 3 medium-term budget vote was a division by show of hands with no abstentions, and DA and FF Plus dissent were noted. 29 May 06:55:47 Cllr Christians recorded the DA's Rule 84 dissent on Item 3, citing missing annexures, and Cllr De Lange recorded FF Plus dissent on items 3 to 3F. 29 May 07:07:31

Item 4, the special adjustment of the 2024/25 operating and capital budgets following the national grant review, passed with 144 in favour and 101 against, with DA and FF Plus dissent noted. 29 May 07:10:23 29 May 07:46:27 Item 1, the 2025/26 Integrated Development Plan Review and business plans, was agreed with no formal count announced. 29 May 05:13:31 Item 2, the 2025-26 Institutional SDBIP, was noted, with DA dissent under Rule 84 and FF Plus serious concern recorded. 29 May 05:55:06

Budget speech figures and promises

At the Budget Speech sitting of 28 May 2025, the Executive Mayor delegated delivery of the 2025/26 budget speech to the MMC for Finance, Cllr Arnolds. 28 May 00:31:09 Cllr Arnolds presented operating revenue of R84.8 billion, operating expenditure of R80.7 billion, a projected surplus of R4.1 billion, a capital budget of R8.7 billion and a total budget of R89.4 billion. 28 May 00:42:57

Cllr Arnolds said the prepaid electricity surcharge would be held unchanged at R200 excluding VAT. 28 May 00:51:25 promise Cllr Arnolds said R28 million is allocated to the Johannesburg City Library, with reopening promised by August 2025, and that the first phase of the Lilian Ngoyi Street rehabilitation will be completed by 30 August 2025. promise promise

Surcharge and alternative budget in debate

In the 29 May 2025 budget debate, ActionSA's Cllr Modukanene criticised the R200 prepaid electricity surcharge and R3.5 billion in new borrowing, and ActionSA voted against the budget. 29 May 00:36:04 In the 29 May budget debate, the FF+ rejected the budget and the ACDP said it does not support the budget. 29 May 01:19:49 29 May 01:27:49 In the 29 May budget debate, the IFP, the ANC, the AIC and Al Jama-ah said they support the budget. 29 May 00:47:30 29 May 01:34:07 29 May 01:57:47 29 May 02:09:59 Cllr Santana presented a DA alternative budget with revenue of R83.6 billion, expenditure of R79.9 billion and a 0% property rates increase. 29 May 01:06:32

MMC Arnolds defended the R200 surcharge as in line with NERSA requirements, said the indigent policy is being reviewed, and explained the R3.5 billion borrowing. 29 May 02:48:15 promise ANC Cllr Modupi rebutted ActionSA on the R200 surcharge, saying ESP beneficiaries are exempt. 29 May 06:40:28

Quorum pauses and the R10 notes

On 28 May 2025 the Speaker raised concern about a quorum and gave 10 minutes for councillors to sign the attendance register. 28 May 00:09:16 When the 28 May sitting resumed, the Speaker said many councillors had been delayed by a freeway accident and that a majority was now present. 28 May 00:26:19 On 29 May 2025 the Speaker paused for about 15 minutes over quorum concerns, then reported 219 councillors present, which formed a quorum. 29 May 00:10:15 29 May 00:31:40

On 29 May the Executive Mayor handed out R10 notes to councillors to illustrate budgeting choices. 29 May 02:59:43 Cllr Pietersen noted that his colleagues did not receive the R10, and the Mayor took the money back. 29 May 03:22:18 DA Cllr Christians criticised the Mayor handing out money before a vote, and Chairperson Raphadu asked Cllr Christians to withdraw the bribery allegation or substantiate it. 29 May 04:47:47

From the record

Budget Speech · 28 May 2025
Budget Speech · 29 May 2025

Councillors who spoke in the moments cited:

Albert Tefo RaphaduANC Alex ChristiansDA Belinda Cynthia EcheozonjokuDA Chris Avant-SmithDA Christopher Glen SantanaDA Cornelis BoerFF+David Nthako ModupiANC Franco Carel De LangeFF+Helen Nonhlanhla MakhubaIFP Kabelo GwamandaAl Jama-ah Lebogang Cleopatra ModukaneneActionSA Lois Cathleen SimonsePA Margaret Nobuhle MthembuActionSA Margeret Sheron ArnoldsAIC Nicole Jacqueline RahnDA Norman Fana MkhonzaACDP Ronald Winston HarrisACDP Sello MoreroANC Steven Paledi NkonyeniActionSA Tabisa Anthea MogapiEFF Temba Aubrey MhlongoAIC Thapelo AmadAl Jama-ah Tshepo MposulaActionSA

How this was made: Claude Opus 5.5 read the chapters, decisions, votes, promises and follow-ups of these sittings as this site records them (not the raw transcript), wrote 22 sentences that each cite their sources, and code removed 2 sentences it could not match to the record. How this site works · Corrections.