Rule 84: Recording party dissent in the minutes

When the Speaker or Presiding Officer puts a question to the council, any councillor can say they want their party's opposition to that item formally written into the minutes. Parties, mainly the DA but also the ACDP, use it to put their dissent on record, even when the item is still approved by the vote.

Plain-English summary written with AI from how the City's minutes quote and use the rule. The official text is not published by the City.

The rule's own words

Whenever a question is put by the Presiding Officer, any Councillor may inform the Presiding Officer that she/he wishes her/his party’s opposition on the item to be formally recorded in the Minutes of the Proceedings.

As quoted in the City's signed minutes.

How the minutes record it

Councillor Niemand (DA), referred to Rule 84 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council, which provides that “Whenever a question is put by the Presiding Officer, any Councillor may inform the Presiding Officer that she/he wishes her/his party’s opposition on the item to be formally recorded in the Minutes of the Proceedings,” and formally recorded the dissent of the Democratic Alliance.
Signed minutes, Friday, 20 March 2026
Councillor Christians (DA) referred to Rule 84 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council, which provides that “Whenever a question is put by the Presiding Officer, any Councillor may inform the Presiding Officer that she/he wishes her/his party’s opposition on the item to be formally recorded in the Minutes of the Proceedings,” and formally recorded the dissent of the Democratic Alliance.
Signed minutes, Thursday, 26 February 2026
Councillor Christians (DA) rose on Rule 84 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council to register the dissent of the Democratic Alliance, which provides that: " Whenever a question is put by the Presiding Officer, any Councillor may, inform the Presiding Officer that she/he wishes her/his party’s opposition on the item to be formally recorded in the Minutes of the Proceedings” RESOLVED 1 That Council adopts and approves the City of Johannesburg Land Use Scheme, 2018, as reviewed 2025, in terms of Section 24(1) of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 2013 (Act 16 of 2013) read…
Signed minutes, Monday, 29 September 2025
Councillor Harris (ACDP), referring to Rule 84 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council, which provides that “Whenever a question is put by the Presiding Officer, any Councillor may inform the Presiding Officer that she/he wishes her/his party’s opposition on the item to be formally recorded in the minutes of the Proceedings,” registered the dissent of the ACDP.
Signed minutes, Tuesday, 2 September 2025
Councillor Christians (DA) registered the Democratic Alliance’s opposition to the item in terms of Rule 84 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council, which provides that: “Whenever a question is put by the Presiding Officer, any Councillor may inform the Presiding Officer that she/he wishes her/his party’s opposition on the item to be formally recorded in the Minutes of the Proceedings.”
Signed minutes, Wednesday, 30 July 2025
Councillor Christians invoked Rule 84 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council and formally registered the Democratic Alliance's dissent.
Signed minutes, Thursday, 13 March 2025

Every meeting whose minutes cite it (23)

Heard in the chamber

27 August 2026, 03:14:25
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in terms of rule 84, please record the opposition of the Democratic Party to that item.
26 August 2026, 04:34:45
the DA will seek every appropriate remedy available in law, including appropriate cost orders where legally justified. In terms of Rule 84 Madam Speaker, we request that the DA's opposition to item 38 be formally recorded in the minutes of today's council proceedings. I thank you.
26 August 2026, 04:42:25
State of Johannesburg versus the blues. Speaker, as per Rule 84, as ActionSA we would like to put on record our opposition to this unethical appointment. I smell a rat. This is the second appointment from the Department of Health. Public safe Public Safety is the heartbeat of our city. We cannot afford uh We cannot afford leaders clouded by investigations.
26 August 2026, 04:55:41
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, our speaker clearly stated the the illegal the the the illegal parts of this uh this uh item. Madam Speaker, please record the Democratic Alliance's uh opposition to this item in terms of Rule 84, and we reserve our rights. Thank you.
26 August 2026, 04:56:20
Madam Speaker, uh I concur in terms of Rule 84, the ACDP's dissension must please be noted. Thank you.
26 August 2026, 07:05:39
And, and the fact that you did not count those because you closed the door prior to the rules allows for it, has disadvantaged them from voting. That's the second thing. The third thing, Madam Speaker, in terms of the rules of council, Rule 84, please record the opposition of the Democratic Alliance on this item. Thank you.
26 August 2026, 07:47:05
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in terms of uh Rule 84, I rise on behalf of the Democratic Alliance to raise our opposition to this item on two reasons. One, as stipulated by uh Councillor Nkomo, this is an incomplete um report, does not give enough uh information for an informed decision. And secondly, we believe that council is acting against a resolution of this council, which prohibits us from sale of any land in the City of Johannesburg by the City of Johannesburg. Thank you.
25 June 2026, 01:32:41
Thank you, Madam Speaker. In terms of Rule 84, can you please record the opposition of the Democratic Alliance to this item? Thank you.
25 June 2026, 03:01:24
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.
25 June 2026, 04:05:15
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.
25 June 2026, 05:44:37
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.
25 June 2026, 05:45:02
Thank you, Speaker. In terms of Rule 84, please record the opposition of the Democratic Alliance to this motion. Thank you.
25 June 2026, 07:38:49
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.
25 June 2026, 07:57:40
Yes, in terms of Rule 84, please uh record the DA's opposition to this item. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
24 June 2026, 01:54:41
Thank you, Speaker. It's not a point of order, it's Rule 84, where we'd like to record the opposition to this item by the Democratic Alliance. As we stated, there are a number of issues in that report. Thank you.
24 June 2026, 02:58:53
Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, sometimes you miss my thinness, so I think that's why they put it forward. Uh Speaker, in terms of Rule 84, the Democratic Alliance would like to record its uh objection to this item. Thank you.
24 June 2026, 05:00:12
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in terms of Rule 84, please note our opposition and we reserve our rights to take this further. Thank you.
24 June 2026, 05:16:05
Speaker, in terms of Rule 84, please note the opposition of the DA to this item. Thank you.
24 June 2026, 05:47:29
Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I rise in terms of Rule 84 now to record our opposition to this item. And we believe that this item was premature. Other items should have come before it. Thank you.
24 June 2026, 05:55:58
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in terms of Rule 84, please record the opposition of the Democratic Alliance and just Councillor Masuku is the only one saying yes. Thank you.
24 June 2026, 06:07:03
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I was stretching. I was stretching there, and I know you don't want me to stretch in the front. Madam Speaker, in terms of Rule 84, please record the opposition of the Democratic Alliance. Thank you.
24 June 2026, 06:20:32
Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. It was that very big yes that you hear every time. Madam Speaker, in terms of Rule 84, we'd like our opposition to this item to be noted. We are not against what is in there, but we are against the process that is followed because it makes it very risky. Thank you.
24 June 2026, 06:38:26
Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, in terms of Rule 84, please record the opposition of the Democratic Alliance, and we reserve our rights on this one. Thank you.
28 May 2026, 04:23:37
Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. In terms of Rule 84 of the Standing Rules of Council, please record the Democratic Alliance's opposition to this unfunded budget, and we reserve our rights. Thank you very much.
28 May 2026, 04:58:25
Speaker, according to Rule 84, please can you note our dissent on this item, and we reserve our rights. Thank you.
28 May 2026, 06:17:52
In terms of Rule 84, Speaker, will you note our objection and our rights are reserved. Thank you.