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Said in Council

This week in council · 30 July 2025 to 31 July 2025

68 Rea Vaya buses for Alexandra Bus Company carried 112 for, 95 against, 3 abstain

Johannesburg council's week: the 42nd Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting on 30 and 31 July 2025, and the 8th Special Council Meeting honouring the late Councillor Brenda Dammie.

By Said in Council (AI draft from the record)

AI draft.Written by Claude Opus 5.5 from this site's record of 3 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.

Item 50 bus vote and DA objections

On 31 July 2025, Day 2 of the 42nd Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting, item 50 asked for user rights of 68 buses for Alexandra Bus Company for Rea Vaya Phase 1C(a) interim services. 31 Jul 03:49:35 On item 50, Cllr Kreusch (DA) questioned the R18 million versus R10 million figures, the R32 million refurbishment, the interest-free repayment model and the absence of Section 79 scrutiny. 31 Jul 03:49:35 MMC Mnisi said the item 50 buses cost R18 million and that R32 million was for refurbishing and reconfiguring buses bought in Mbombela to Rea Vaya specification. 31 Jul 04:11:38

The Speaker asked three times whether item 50 was agreed, found the house split, and ordered a count, ringing the bell for members to come in. 31 Jul 04:14:21 Cllr Niemand (DA) argued that Rule 86 does not provide for ringing the bell before the item 50 vote. 31 Jul 04:14:21 Item 50 was declared carried with 112 yes, 95 no and 3 abstentions. 31 Jul 04:14:21 Cllr Christians asked under Rule 84 that the DA's opposition to item 50 be recorded and said the DA would refer the delay tactic used by the Speaker's office to the Rules Committee. 31 Jul 04:25:35 promise

Pikitup strategy, HIV/AIDS grant and finance reports

Item 92, the Pikitup trading services reform strategy, was approved on 31 July 2025, with Cllr Christians raising a DA objection under rule 84 because annexures arrived late. 31 Jul 00:55:56 Item 93, accepting the R33.63 million HIV/AIDS conditional grant from the Gauteng Department of Health, carried with the DA's dissent noted under rule 84. 31 Jul 00:57:13 31 Jul 01:15:29 Items 32, 33 and 77, including the Draft Alderman Policy, were approved after Cllr Hoon and Cllr Hooper said these policies needed approval rather than noting. 31 Jul 06:39:55

Before item 45, Cllr Boer (FF+) asked whether there was a new Finance MMC, and the Speaker said the Mayor had authorised the MMC of Human Settlements to respond. 31 Jul 02:44:34 Supply chain reports in items 45, 46 and 47 and the Section 71 financial reports in items 48 and 49 were noted on 31 July 2025. 31 Jul 02:48:30 31 Jul 03:12:12 31 Jul 03:31:56 MMC Mabaso acknowledged the delay in the Section 71 reports and said "we are going to make it a point that we improve on our reporting". 31 Jul 03:31:56 promise Cllr Smit (FF+) asked whether quorum still held as the chamber emptied and screens and lights failed; a quorum count was called but no result was announced in the transcript. 31 Jul 06:17:56

Day 1: dispute, absent MMCs and promises

On 30 July 2025, Day 1 of the 42nd Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting, the Speaker confirmed 220 councillors present after an EFF caucus break. 30 Jul 00:23:38 Items 34, 40, 42 and 70 were withdrawn, and quarterly reports in items 8 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 18 and 19 to 20 were agreed by voice with no counts announced. 30 Jul 00:45:13 30 Jul 02:38:47 30 Jul 03:33:57 30 Jul 04:08:18 30 Jul 04:46:34 Councillor Maila complained that only the PAC MMC was in the front row, and MMC Nkokou replied that colonial settlers killed PAC members. 30 Jul 03:06:32 The DA demanded that MMC Nkokou withdraw unconditionally; the Speaker ruled that the MMC had corrected himself and ordered business to continue. 30 Jul 03:06:32

Councillor Echeozonjoku said the bulk of the MMCs were not in the chamber, and the chair ruled that the MMCs responsible for the items were present. 30 Jul 03:26:17 MMC Tshwaku said "we are hiring 500 MPOs" for ward-based policing, and MMC Mgcina committed to fill all funded vacancies in the Development Planning department. 30 Jul 04:46:34 promise 30 Jul 01:53:51 promise MMC Mabaso said the province, not the City, builds houses and that no provincial funds were received. 30 Jul 04:08:18 The Day 1 recording is largely lost after MMC Mgcina's response, and Council adjourned to 10:00 the next day to finish the agenda. 30 Jul 01:53:51 30 Jul 04:59:48

Memorial sitting for Councillor Brenda Dammie

The 8th Special Council Meeting on 30 July 2025 honoured the late Councillor Brenda Dammie, Rules Committee chairperson and ANC Deputy Chief Whip, who died on 20 June 2025. 30 Jul 00:04:08 30 Jul 01:48:58 The Speaker apologised to the bereaved families for the late start of the 8th Special Council Meeting, caused by traffic and freeway accidents. 30 Jul 00:04:08 30 Jul 02:05:09 Al Jama-ah's Councillor Gwamanda was called for a tribute but was not present, and the Speaker moved to the EFF. 30 Jul 01:06:40

The Speaker said the meeting also officially removed Councillor Dammie's name from the chamber, a protocol ritual known as ukusula igama. 30 Jul 01:54:55 Councillor Dammie's brother, Mr Rali Moloisane, thanked the Mayor, MMCs, councillors and the community, and urged Council to stay united. 30 Jul 02:00:25

From the record

Councillors who spoke in the moments cited:

Alex ChristiansDABelinda Cynthia EcheozonjokuDAChris Avant-SmithDAChristopher Glen SantanaDACornelis BoerFF+Ennie MakhafolaEFFKalushi Johannes MosehlaEFFLois Cathleen SimonsePALoyiso MasukuANCMaredi Angelinah MphahoANCMargeret Sheron ArnoldsAICMlungisi Providence MabasoIFPMoloko Michael MpoloboshoAfrican Heart CongressNokuthula NofemelaANCNorman Fana MkhonzaACDPNtswaki Lydia NtoeleEFFPaul André SmitFF+Ronald Winston HarrisACDPRoss Stuart HooperDASarah Teresa June WisslerActionSASaseka Lorrein ZithaEFFSean KreuschDASello MoreroANCSibongile Eunice MgcinaANCSolomon Masehlele MailaDASteven Paledi NkonyeniActionSATebogo Pardon NkokouPACThapelo AmadAl Jama-ahTshepo MposulaActionSATumelo Joseph MadibaANCVhengani Essau MunyayiActionSAVhonani Adolphus MaremaANC

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 27 sentences that each cite their sources, and code removed 0 sentences it could not match to the record. How this site works · Corrections.