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Said in Council

Wednesday, 7 May 2025 · 1 h 50 min · 1 video · 2021–2026 council

State of the City Address

AI draft.Written by AI from the livestream and not yet checked by a person. Use the timestamps to check anything before you quote it.

The day at a glance · 17 chapters over 110 minutes: services, housing and development 49 min, other business (no topic tag) 42 min, governance and appointments 8 min, procedure 7 min, budget and finances 4 min; 4 decisions. Each block is a chapter, as wide as its time, coloured by its strongest AI topic tag; click one to jump to it.
00:00:30 Ceremonial opening, march past and national anthem00:21:19 Songs and chanting as councillors and guests settle00:31:27 Acknowledgement of guests and dignitaries00:35:10 Leave of absence and apologies00:37:59 Songs ahead of the address00:41:56 Point of order on seating of the Chief of Staff and EFF protocol00:45:58 Mayor's opening remarks, oath and the mayors of Johannesburg00:59:21 City's challenges and acknowledgement of partners01:04:34 Service delivery priorities and high-impact programmes01:15:46 G20, U20 hosting and investment pitch to international partners01:20:42 Presidential support package, turnaround plan and Bomb Squad01:27:39 IDP, new vision and financial reset01:31:31 Township economy, Lanseria Smart City and Northern Farms wastewater plant01:36:32 Drastic measures proposed by the Mayor01:40:02 Appeal to residents and conclusion of the address01:43:02 Songs after the address01:45:41 Announcements, adjournment and order of leaving the chamber
‖
  • Governance and appointments
  • Budget and finances
  • Services, housing and development
  • Other business (no topic tag)
  • Procedure: roll call, apologies, breaks
  • Decision (4)
  • ‖Adjourned or paused (1)

Chapters, decisions and procedure are AI drafts from the livestream; topic tags are AI judgments (a chapter with several shows its strongest). Services, housing and development covers water, electricity, roads, housing, waste, safety, health, planning and community facilities.

Summary

Executive Mayor Cllr Morero delivered the State of the City Address, telling council the city is financially unstable and its infrastructure is decaying. 00:45:58 00:59:21 He proposed a state of disaster for crime from July 2025, a Bomb Squad under Dr Zikalala from June 2025, rotation of MMCs and senior managers, and selling the debtors book. 01:36:32

Spending promises included around R3 billion over the medium-term framework for areas such as Diepsloot, Ivory Park and Orange Farm, and R296 million to electrify informal settlements. 01:04:34 He announced a relief electricity tariff for industrial customers and said the city has committed over R626 million to the R4 billion Northern Farms wastewater treatment plant. 01:04:34 01:31:31 The Mayor submitted a city turnaround plan electronically to the President on screen, and councillors were asked to acknowledge it; no council vote was taken. 01:20:42

Before the address, Cllr Christians objected to the Mayor's Chief of Staff sitting in the row reserved for the City Manager's team and to the EFF marching through the centre of the House. 00:41:56 The Speaker ruled the Chief of Staff could not sit in the chamber and asked him to move to the guest gallery. 00:41:56

Debate on the address was deferred to the next day, when parties will comment and the Mayor will respond; 14 apologies were read out earlier. 00:35:10 01:45:41

AI draft from the record of this sitting (Claude Opus 5.5), checked against the chapters; every sentence links to the moment. Report an error

This week in council: State of the City week: acting senior manager arrangements pass 112 for, 62 against

In brief

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01

Chapters

17

What was discussed, in order. Click a time to watch.

  1. 00:00:30

    Ceremonial opening, march past and national anthem

    The programme director asked for the Executive Mayor and his entourage to be received. The JMPD ceremonial band led the national anthem, and the Executive Mayor acknowledged a march past by uniformed officials.

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  2. 00:21:19

    Songs and chanting as councillors and guests settle

    Songs and chants in isiZulu, including ANC slogans, filled the chamber while attendees took their seats. No business was conducted.

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  3. 00:31:27

    Acknowledgement of guests and dignitaries

    Former mayors, ministers, MPs, MPLs, party officials and other guests in the gallery were acknowledged one by one. The Speaker noted that a notification had not been received for one guest but acknowledged his presence.

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  4. 00:35:10

    Leave of absence and apologies

    Councillors tabled apologies for colleagues who were ill, on council or party business, or running late. These included MMC Sekwaila arriving late and MMC Kunene unavailable. The Speaker noted the apologies.

    DammieANCSimonsePARaphaduANCKarolia

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  5. 00:37:59

    Songs ahead of the address

    The Speaker moved to the State of the City item. Songs welcoming the Executive Mayor followed in the chamber and delayed the start.

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  6. 00:41:56

    Point of order on seating of the Chief of Staff and EFF protocol

    Cllr Christians objected that the row reserved for the City Manager's team held the Mayor's political Chief of Staff. He also said the EFF had broken protocol by marching through the centre of the House. The Speaker said she and the Mayor had agreed with the Legislature that the Chief of Staff could not sit in the chamber and asked him to move to the guest gallery. Cllr Raphadu asked which rule applied.

    ChristiansDAMthembuActionSARaphaduANC

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  7. 00:45:58

    Mayor's opening remarks, oath and the mayors of Johannesburg

    The Executive Mayor greeted guests and recited his oath of office. He listed the priorities that drive him: by-law enforcement, working traffic lights, street lights and youth opportunities. He then gave a history of the city's mayors, from the apartheid era to the democratic mayors.

    MoreroANC

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  8. 00:59:21

    City's challenges and acknowledgement of partners

    The Mayor said the city is financially unstable and its infrastructure is decaying. He thanked partners including Jozi My Jozi, the Johannesburg Parks Alliance, Discovery and Avis, Coca-Cola, taxi associations and private developers. He cited the Carlswald Reservoir and the Steyn City bulk infrastructure investment.

    MoreroANC

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  9. 01:04:34

    Service delivery priorities and high-impact programmes

    The Mayor outlined energy, inner-city revitalisation, housing (Lufhereng, Southern Farms, Grand Central), electrification, water, roads, waste and community facility programmes. He gave allocations for several projects and announced a relief tariff for industrial electricity customers.

    MoreroANC

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  10. 01:15:46

    G20, U20 hosting and investment pitch to international partners

    The Mayor said Johannesburg will co-host the U20 Summit in September 2025. He pitched investment opportunities to China, the UK, Japan, Germany, Brazil and Russia, citing the informal settlement formalisation programme and the mining belt redevelopment.

    MoreroANC

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  11. 01:20:42

    Presidential support package, turnaround plan and Bomb Squad

    The Mayor thanked the President for the presidential support package and noted the service delivery war room set up in March 2025. He presented a city turnaround plan, proposed a Bomb Squad to remove constraints, and described a digital public infrastructure approach. He then submitted the plan electronically to the President on screen.

    MoreroANC

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  12. 01:27:39

    IDP, new vision and financial reset

    The Mayor said the draft IDP and budget are in public comment and proposed adopting a new vision of a winning city driven by its people. He said the city's finances are fragile and that revenue collection will be overhauled. He urged large consumers to pay on time and said the city will be robust in collecting from those who can pay.

    MoreroANC

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  13. 01:31:31

    Township economy, Lanseria Smart City and Northern Farms wastewater plant

    The Mayor called for the township economy to be brought to life through the Joburg Market and digital bulk-buying tools. He backed the Lanseria Smart City Programme and said the city has committed over R626 million to the R4 billion Northern Farms wastewater treatment plant.

    MoreroANC

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  14. 01:36:32

    Drastic measures proposed by the Mayor

    The Mayor listed proposed actions: an economic work stream in the presidential package, a state of disaster for crime from July 2025, and a war on potholes, illegal connections, illegal mining and illegal dumping. He also proposed a Bomb Squad under Dr Zikalala from June 2025, rotation of MMCs and senior managers, selling the debtors book, and daily cash-flow monitoring.

    MoreroANC

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  15. 01:40:02

    Appeal to residents and conclusion of the address

    The Mayor asked residents not to litter, vandalise infrastructure or hijack buildings, and to comply with by-laws. He asked parties to use the next day's debate to bring constituency inputs. He thanked the Mayoral Committee, staff and Government of Local Unity partners.

    MoreroANC

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  16. 01:43:02

    Songs after the address

    Songs were sung in the chamber after the Mayor concluded.

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  17. 01:45:41

    Announcements, adjournment and order of leaving the chamber

    The Speaker said parties would comment on the address and the Mayor would respond at the debate the next day at 10:00. Copies of the speech would be distributed outside. The Secretary to Council set out the order in which the Speaker, Mayor, Chief Whip, opposition leader Cllr Echeozonjoku, MMCs, chairpersons and councillors would leave, and the meeting adjourned.

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02

Promises

15

Commitments with a date, an amount or a 'we will'.

On 5 November 2026 (when this page was built): 3 overdue, 0 due in the next 30 days, 10 with no date. Overdue first; dates are AI readings of what was said; tap or hover a label for how. All promises.

03

Decisions

4

What council approved, rejected or put off.

  • 00:37:49

    Leave of absence and apologiesapproved

    The Speaker noted the apologies tabled by councillors for absent and late members.

  • 00:43:01

    Point of order on seating of the Mayor's Chief of Staffapproved

    The Speaker ruled the Chief of Staff could not sit in the chamber and asked him to join guests upstairs.

  • 01:26:33

    Presentation of the city turnaround planapproved

    The Mayor electronically submitted the turnaround plan to the President on screen and councillors were asked to acknowledge it; no council vote was taken.

  • 01:45:41

    Debate on the State of the City Addressdeferred

    Party comments and the Mayor's response were scheduled for the next day at 10:00, and the sitting adjourned.

04

Attendance and conduct

15

Who was away and why, as said in the chamber.

Apologies read out 14

Ill health (3)
Mazibuko*, Mkhonto, Unidentified councillor*
Arriving late (4)
Sekwaila, Unidentified councillor*, Makhuba, Amod
Private business (1)
Kunene
Official duty (1)
De Lange
Family responsibility (1)
Unidentified councillor*
No reason given (4)
Hoon, Truluck, Koekemoer, Zazini

* Name as heard; not matched to exactly one councillor.

Sound or equipment problem 1

  • 00:44:03

    Christians*: The chair asked whether Councillor Christians' microphone was off.

05

Transcript

234

Every line, linked to the video.