Transcript: 31st Ordinary Council Meeting

Notice and opening of the 31st Ordinary Council Meeting

00:19:49Uh good morning, councilors. It is hereby notified that the 31st Ordinary Council Meeting of the City of Johannesburg Municipality will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, the 25th and the 26th of June, 2025 at 11:50 a.m. at Constance Connie Bapela Council Chamber in Braamfontein. And our first item is opening.

00:20:16Councilors, please let's settle down. The meeting has been officially opened. To the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councilor Sello Dada Morero. To the Whip of Council, Councilor Nkosiphayo Zungu. The Chair of Chair, Councilor Vhonani Marema. All political party leaders present here and whips. Members of the Mayoral Committee. Chairperson of the Section 79 Committees.

00:20:46Fellow councilors. Acting City Manager, Mr. Tshepo Makola. Secretary to Council, Mr. Andile Gobinca. Officials of the City of Johannesburg. Residents of the City of Johannesburg. Members of the media present here today. Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the 31st Ordinary Council Meeting of the City of Johannesburg Municipality.

00:21:15Please note that we have received an urgent question from Councilor Jonker. And she would like to advise And we'd like to advise her that there is no rule 34 (2) in the Standing Rules and Order of Council, which is which was quoted by the councilor. Councilors, at this point, I will only allow 5 minutes to ensure that we do have quorum. We currently have 230 councilors.

Quorum check

00:21:45But we'll allow 5 minutes, so if you haven't signed the register outside, please go sign now.

00:28:58Councilors, let's settle down. We'll resume with business of the day. Councilors, please note that there is 231 councilors present at this current moment, and as a result, there is quorum and the meeting will continue.

Applications for leave of absence

00:29:26We now proceed with applications for leave of absence.

00:29:37Different whips of all the political parties, I I will start with Councilor Mposula, followed by Councilor Avant-Smith. After that will be Councilor Harris, Councilor Mogapi, Mogapi, in that order, please, colleagues.

00:30:00Greetings Speaker. Uh I have got only two apologies. Uh Councillor Ramakamo, family bereavement, Councillor Mposula would like to leave at 4:00, if we are not done. Thank you so much.claim

00:30:18Noted Councillor. Councillor Avant-Smith.

00:30:22Thank you Speaker. Um I have uh a LOA for Councillor Bittkau, and late arrivals for Councillor Jacobs and Hughes. Thank you.

00:30:31Noted Councillor. Councillor Harris.

00:30:35Thank you Madam Speaker. Please uh note an apology for Councillor Chris Rohlssen who is off sick. Thank you.

00:30:44Noted Councillor. Councillor Mogapi.

00:30:47Thank you Speaker. From the EFF it's Councillor Nethamba, writing exams. Thank you.

00:30:53Noted Councillor. Councillor Dammie.

00:30:57Thank you Speaker. From ANC Councillor Marumo out of the country.

00:31:03Noted Councillor. Councillor Simonse.

00:31:07Morning Madam Speaker. Um Councillor Dawayne Ponsonby, ill health, he has been hospitalized this morning. And MMC Kunene would like to leave early at 1:00 if we aren't.claim

00:31:18Noted Councillors. I don't see any other hand, are the apologies noted?

00:31:25Thank you Councillors.

Official notices and birthdays

00:31:30We now move to official notices.

00:31:34Please join me in wishing well all the Councillors who celebrated their birthday and grew a year older during the month of April, May and June. We wish you everything of the best.

Statement by the Executive Mayor

00:31:52Then can we have the statement by the Executive Mayor.

00:31:57Executive Mayor Councillor Sello Dada Morero.

00:32:23Still. Uh Councillor Belinda was saying I must say goodbye.

00:32:32Goodbye.

00:32:40Speaker of Council, Councillor Nobuhle Mthembu. The Chief Whip of Council, Councillor Sthembiso Zungu. Members of the Mayoral Committee, Honourable Councillors,

00:32:58City Manager and the administrative team, fellow South Africans, guests in the gallery, ladies and gentlemen, comrades and compatriots,

00:33:14Sesothodumelang.

00:33:19Let me start here, Madam Speaker. And I hope the progressive government of local unity is ready.

00:33:31SesothoO ya re bona, Mama. O ya re bona. O ya re bona. O ya re bona, Mama. O ya re bona, Mama. O ya re bona. O ya re bona. O ya re bona, Mama.

00:34:08Thank you, Madam Speaker. And Chief Whip, we are here. I'm not sure why we are here, but we are here. Maybe let's try it again.

00:34:25SesothoO ya re bona, Mama. O ya re bona. O ya re bona, Mama. O ya re bona, Mama. O ya re bona, Mama. O ya re bona. O ya re bona, Mama. O ya re bona, Mama.

00:35:03Thank you. We are here to do Council work. The people of Johannesburg have put us here to implement their wishes. They trusted us with their vote. A vote in South Africa is a special choice of action that forms part of democratic process. We are the byproduct of this democratic South Africa.

00:35:38Madam Speaker, what is democracy? Last night I came across parliament's definition of democracy, which reminds us that the word democracy comes from the Greek word, demokratia, which means government by the people. I further want to unpack this word by stating the following. I quote, " Democracy is a balance between might and right. The state takes all the power. It has all the might. But its power must be limited so that it does not abuse this power. To make sure it does right. The Constitution guarantees the independence of the courts and establishes six independent institutions to protect citizens. The Public Protector, the Human Rights Commission, the Commission for Promotion and Protection of Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the Commission for Gender Equality, the Auditor General, and the Independent Electoral Commission. Democracy is about balancing rights and responsibilities. Citizens can expect the government to do things for them, like providing protection, health services, education and housing. Citizens also have responsibilities like obeying the law and paying tax to the state. Democracy is about balancing the rights of the majority with the protection for the minority. Democracy is about achieving a greater balance in society, so that there is greater equality for all, so that there's greater equality for all over a period of time." Fellow Councillors, we should have no fear. Like I said, we are here today because of a democratic process. Not because this motion of no confidence that aimed to destabilize the City of Johannesburg.

00:38:1170 years ago, the people of South Africa declared, I quote, "South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white

01:03:54isiZulu[inaudible] uZungu wethu ayingeni indaba yempahla [inaudible]

Resumption after caucus break

02:01:44Councillors, let's settle down. Councillor Avant-Smith, you asked for an hour caucus break.

02:01:53Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thanks for the indulgence. We're ready to continue. Thank you.

02:01:58Noted, councillor.

02:02:05Uh councillors, we resume with item six, and that is the recommendations to council.

02:02:15The first speaker is from the DA, Councillor Suddaby.

02:02:27Councillor, please hold on. Please hold on.

Tabling of recommendations to council

02:02:51Sorry, councillor. Can I get someone from the executive to table the report?

02:03:00MMC Masuku?

02:03:03Thanks, Madam Speaker, and a good afternoon. Uh we hereby table recommendations to council.

02:03:14Thank you, MMC Masuku. Chair of chair, if you can table the legislature reports?

02:03:21Thank you very much, uh Speaker. I arrive and rise to table the reports uh of the legislature. Thank you.

Item 75: Year planner and schedule of meetings, July 2025 to June 2026

02:03:30Thank you, Chair of Chair. Councillor Suddaby?

02:03:39Thank you, Madam Speaker. All protocol observed. I rise to speak on item 75, the year planner schedule of meetings of the City of Johannesburg Council and committees, July 2025 to June 2026. Allow me at the outset to express gratitude for not scheduling Finance Section 79 meetings on Thursdays. This means the GCFO and the GCTO can now not use their mandatory presence at the BEC meetings as an excuse to not attend those Section 79 meetings.

02:04:15It has been frustrating for the finance committee, especially when the quarterly reports serve, to have delegates respond to important questions of which they have limited understanding. I also wish to express appreciation for accommodating the DA request that the mayor answer oral questions quarterly per Rule 112, Part 1 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council.

02:04:37A request was also submitted that Mondays be kept clear entirely because of political because every political party in this council considers Mondays to be political days. Unfortunately, there will continue to be a conflict in this regard for most of us a few times in the coming 12 months. Recommendation two notwithstanding, the following must be said.

02:05:06Because Joburg is diverse, we need to be mindful of social cohesion and consider all belief systems of all our councillors when scheduling meetings. Once this calendar is approved today, I and I am sure

02:05:22Councillor Suddaby, sorry to disturb you. I would like to remind councillors, remember this is item 75, the ones that have been elevated. Can I ask secretary to council to read it into record because a lot of councillors are sending us messages. Sorry about that, Councillor Suddaby. We'll give you your time back.

02:05:41Thank you. Thank you, Speaker.

02:05:43Please hold on. Let him read it into record so the councillors know which item we are on.

02:05:50Once this calendar is approved today,

02:05:52Councillor Suddaby, please let the secretary to read it into record.

02:05:55Right. All right.

02:05:56Yes. No problem.

02:06:02Uh councillors, we are on the under the recommendations to council on the elevated item 75, which is a year planner or schedule of meetings of of City of Johannesburg Council and committees for July 2025 to June 2026.

02:06:20Thank you, Speaker. Shall I start again or pick up in the middle? Start again.

02:06:24You can start again. No problem.

02:06:31Thank you, Madam Speaker. All protocol observed. I rise to speak on item 75, the year planner schedule of meetings of the council of of the City of Johannesburg Council and committees for July 2025 to June 2026. Allow me at the outset to express gratitude for not scheduling Finance Section 79 meetings on Thursdays.

02:06:56This means the GCFO and the GCTO can now use their mandatory presence at the BEC meetings, which are scheduled for Thursdays, as an excuse to not attend the finance, especially quarterly, Section 79 meetings. I wish to express appreciation for accommodating the DA request that the mayor answer oral questions quarterly per Rule 112, Part 1 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council.

02:07:29A request was also submitted that Mondays be kept clear entirely because every political party in this council considers Mondays to be political days. Unfortunately, there will continue to be conflict in this regard for most of us a few times in the coming 12 months. Recommendation two notwithstanding, the following must be said.

02:07:52Because Joburg is diverse, we need to be mindful of social cohesion and consider all belief systems of all our councillors when scheduling meetings. Once this calendar is approved today, I and I am sure many other councillors will update council meetings and committee meetings in our diaries for the next 12 months.

02:08:15We will then organize all our other political and community and whatever else matters around this schedule that is approved today. Please can the acting city manager take note of the OCG and MPAC meetings and similarly allocate those meetings in his diary as untouchable.

02:08:37And can the city manager at the same time ensure that all group and department heads and entity MDs and all other relevant department heads do the same so that when these meetings take place, no excuse of prior arrangement can be tolerated. As of today, for the next 12 months, according to this schedule, there can be no prior arrangements on these dates.

02:09:07Now we come to extraordinary meetings. The nine extraordinary council meetings that have taken place in the 24/25 financial year have messed with all let's not say all, let's confine this to the part-time councillors, our diaries. We will have made other arrangements around the scheduled dates, and the extraordinary meetings have also caused inormous wasteful and unauthorized expenditure.

02:09:38Take cognizance that the knock-on effect of any extraordinary meeting, council or committee, displacing a scheduled meeting is potentially enormous, because we now are dipping our toes into valid prior arrangement territory. Councillors and officials are not waiting around hoping someone will give them something to do. Quorum may not be reached, which results in yet another extraordinary meeting having to be scheduled. Rinse and repeat.

02:10:09Eight of the nine extraordinary council meetings in the 2024/25 financial year have displaced MPAC meetings, both scheduled and extraordinary. This has had, hopefully, the unintended and not intended consequence of MPAC not being able to fulfill its own mandate.

02:10:31MPAC is under pressure to deal with historical UIFW investigations, and no matter how we try to plan a workable solution, extraordinary council meetings continue to hamper our progress. Most recently, last Wednesday's extraordinary council meeting displaced an MPAC meeting, and now it is proving exceptionally difficult to squeeze in another extraordinary MPAC meeting.

02:10:59Some might think this is a frivolous request, but National Treasury has indicated since October '24 that they will place the city under administration should the UIFW not be significantly reduced quickly. MPAC is the vehicle most effectively used to monitor, investigate, and report on, thereby hopefully deterring said financial mismanagement.

02:11:24Don't use recommendation two as a cop-out to cover up with being disorganized. If everyone to whom this year planner refers uses it as their inked diary entries, many extraordinary meetings would not be necessary. I thank you.

02:11:44Thank you, councillor. Chair of Chairs, Councillor Marema.

02:11:51No, thank you very much, uh Speaker. One would have thought that this item was not going to be debated, but we have seen a whole lot of amazing things in the world, so we're not uh amazed at all. I rise to ask council to approve this item. Thank you.

02:12:15Thank you, Chair of Chair. The recommendation are on page 75.2. Is the item agreed to?

02:12:24Agreed.

02:12:25Thank you, councillors.

Item 7: Motion of no confidence in the Executive Mayor - proposer and seconder dispute

02:12:30Uh councillors, we proceed with another elevated item, item seven, and those are motions, starting off with the first motion, which is a motion of no confidence against the Executive Mayor, Councillor Sello Dada Morero.

02:13:11I would like to call the proposer for this motion, Councillor Christians.

02:13:16Bring back the land.

02:13:26Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, in terms of Rule I think it's uh 91(1), we have referred to secretariat about the change of name of who's going to be opening up this debate and who's coming in second. Thank you.

02:13:44Councillor Christians, while um legal is checking the rules, because they did say something prior to you standing up, while they are confirming on their side, um Councillor Christians Councillor Harris, I see your hand is also up.

02:14:02Uh thank you, Madam Speaker. Uh we had manually asked for our names to be included. Um can you please just check if this has been done?

02:14:19Councillor Christians, I want to confirm you want to be the seconder, and Councillor Niemand must be the proposer, so you want to amend your motion.

02:14:30Please repeat what you said to uh the admin team.

Ruling on swapping proposer and seconder

02:14:34Thank you. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker,

02:15:26Okay. Councillor Christians, I've been given legal advice that normally this rule will apply if the proposer or the seconder is not here, but you are both here right now. So we can't swap the two of you around. You are both here right now, so we cannot do that.

02:15:50Thank you, Speaker. Speaker,

02:15:50Councillor Dammie, I've made my decision. I've made my ruling, Councillor Christians. I've made my ruling on this one. We shall proceed as per the agenda.

Motion of no confidence in the Executive Mayor tabled

02:16:04Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, the rule does not say that, but if you've made your ruling, we'll take it to Rules Committee again. Speaker, in terms of the the motion submitted in terms of Rule 94(1) of the Standing Rules and Order of Council 2016, uh I, Councillor Alex Christians, uh hereby recommend that a motion of no confidence be passed by council against the Executive Mayor, Councillor Dada Morero, uh

02:16:29and two, that upon the passing of the motion of no confidence against the Executive Mayor, Councillor Dada Morero, an election of the executive Executive Mayor be done in accordance with Section 55 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998, read with Schedule 3 of the Municipal Structures Act in order to fill the said vacancy as it is as it is necessary.

02:16:57Speaker, in terms of this motion, it's not about Councillor Dada Morero. It's about saving Johannesburg. It's about bringing dignity back to the City of Johannesburg. Uh when when the mayor started off, he said two things. He will not make any promises, and he will not be able to to provide delivery, so we should not expect it. And when a mayor stands up and says that, you clearly have to say, "Okay, what is happening here?"

02:17:26And that's what we did. We sat back and said, "Okay, maybe he made a mistake when he opened up his speech." But there was no mistake. There was no mistake because if you ask any ward councillor

02:17:53Today, we were paying tribute to one of our councillors who was brutally murdered. And one of the MMCs appointed by the mayor showed absolutely no dignity in this house by attacking another political party in the presence of the family who are mourning. That shows the character of the executive, because if that can be done now in this house, the dignity of this house is completely lost, and that is why this vote of no confidence is coming. I thank you.

02:18:31Does the house agree to this motion of no confidence?

02:18:35No!

02:18:39Bring back the land, Christians.

02:18:41No, no, no, no, no.

02:18:43Thank you, councillors. We shall continue with the seconder and allow the other political parties to debate it. I would like to call the seconder, Councillor Niemand.

EFF request for a break after a councillor collapsed

02:18:57Councillor Mogapi?

02:19:01Thank you, Speaker. Can we as the EFF given 3 minutes? One of our councillor collapsed outside. Thank you.

02:19:10Councillor Mogapi, has your councillor received medical attention, or you're only leaving now to go look?

02:19:16I'm just hearing now that the councillor collapsed. Thank you.

02:19:35We already set the tone with what happened, unfortunately, the last time. And we hope the councillor is okay. Protocol, can you also just assist them? Councillor Cook, I did not ignore you by purpose. Sorry about that.

02:19:53No problem, Madam Speaker. Uh just to make mention, uh we did submit uh names uh for items and for the motions, but they don't seem to be recorded on the speakers' list. I believe that these will be done manually. I hope that I don't have to remind for each item.

02:20:13Okay, Councillor Cook, I do have them, so don't worry about that. Um the house at large, I will give the EFF caucus 5 minutes. It's 13

02:20:29Chief Whip?

02:20:33Uh greetings, Speaker. Speaker, I think I thought maybe you would have ruled or maybe uh allow EFF to leave because they're already out of uh the chamber. I don't think it's a right precedence to set. Maybe they should have allowed yourself to rule, then maybe we then we know what to do. Otherwise, uh it's it does not look good.

02:20:51I did. I did tell them that it's fine.

02:20:53They should be leaving?

02:20:54I did. Yes, that's why they left, Mogapi. I did. That's why they left with the caucus.

02:20:58Okay.

02:20:58And then I further went on to say, you know, last week, last time we were here, what happened, that unfortunate thing that happened, yes. No, no, no. I further went on to explain that because of what happened the last time. Last time we were sitting here, the same thing happened, and we did give the entire house a break because of what happened to the ANC councillor as well. So I don't want to be biased. What I do on my left, I must also do on my right, uh Chief Whip of council. No, it's fine. I get what you're saying.

02:21:33I'm not querying it. I'm just saying, but if you said it, sure, then it's uh

02:21:37No, I'm just saying, look, I even said thumbs up, but I further elaborated, you know, I further explained so that the house at large understands. We did the same thing last week, councillors. We did the same thing last week. Um it's an emergency, councillors. Remember last week, it almost became brutal. I was also accused of being insensitive because one of our councillors collapsed. So at this current moment in time, I'm saying to the EFF caucus, the same thing I allowed last week for the ANC caucus is the same thing I'm going to allow for you guys so that you check if our colleague is fine. That's it.

02:22:28Councillor Van?

02:22:31Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think just I don't know if 3 minutes is enough time. Could we maybe extend that to about 15 minutes just for them to be able to check on their colleagues?

02:22:42Councillor Van, let's leave it to the EFF caucus. We'll keep on we'll go out, check on them, and revert feedback. MMC Masuku?

MMC Masuku refers the Speaker's ruling to the Rules Committee

02:22:54Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I'd like to refer your ruling to the Rules Committee, where you said in the chamber you were advised um by legal, because when I read uh Rule 91.1, it says the proposer or seconder shall formally. There's nowhere in the rules where it says when one is not in the meeting. So I'd like to refer your ruling because um you have set a precedence. We respect your ruling, but I think we must actually use the rule book correctly in terms of council.

02:24:00MMC Masuku, we're speaking about it this side. It can be an issue of interpretation, but we don't mind. We can take it to the Rules Committee. Councillors, it's 13:56. At 2:00, we'll check with the EFF caucus.

EFF report back and resumption

02:28:33Councillors, I see Councillor Ngwenya is in the council chamber as well. Chief Whip of the EFF caucus, Councillor Mogapi, can you please give us feedback?

02:28:52Thank you, Speaker. We managed to get the councillor, but he's under the drip, so we'll take him back to the ambulances. Thank you.

02:29:02Thank you, Councillor Mogapi. Councillor Ngwenya,

02:29:07isiZuluSabe sikubhekile.

Seconder Niemand on the mayor's State of the City promises

02:29:10I would like to call the seconder, Councillor Niemand.

02:29:21Yeah, thank you, Speaker. Before I second, I would just like to say a couple of words pertaining to this motion. Um on the 7th of May this year, the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg uh addressed the city, the councillors, and international community,claim

02:29:41Councillor Niemand, please hold on. Councillor Mogapi, please, and the mayor, can we take our seats? You can continue, Councillor Niemand.

02:29:59Yes, thank you, Speaker.

02:30:00As I say well, when the mayor delivered his State of the City address on the 7th of May, he made a whole lot of bold promises in his speech, like electrifying informal settlements, revitalizing the inner city, the Southern Farms project, energy stability, investing in deprived and marginal areas.

02:30:24A couple of weeks later we got the budget speech and I'm still here to see a lot of those promises fulfilled in the budget speech. Then the mayor spoke again this morning when he had his chance in terms of the rules and it sounded to me like a rehash of the State of the City address. And while I was listening to it, it reminds me of a tale that a writer once wrote, and the writer's name is Hans Christian Andersen. And he wrote a little tale of an emperor

02:30:54that liked to go around in his land dressed in fancy clothes and parade through his subjects at the cost of them. The tale's name is The Naked Emperor. In this tale, it's simple that the emperor was fooled by some dressmakers to make him an elaborate dress and then was told that if you cannot see the dress, you are either not intelligent or you don't have vision. So,

02:31:25being afraid to look either not having a vision or not being intelligent, they allow these people to make the emperor his dress. But even worse, they all went and visited the workshop where these workers were [inaudible] dress. Officials, and even the emperor went and let's call it do an oversight meeting to bring it back to our terms. Nobody putting up their hands and saying, "But hang on, there's nothing going on here." Eventually,

02:31:55the workers declared that this dress was done. The and

02:33:15Even worse, they climb up a ladder and they flip a switch. Then resident has been sitting without power for days on end and all it took was for a technician to flip a switch.

ActionSA on the mayoral motion

02:40:26first. While others here may have taken that oath without sincerity, ActionSA meant every word. We have fought at every turn to protect the residents of this city, even as they have been repeatedly betrayed by the endless political games and self-serving scheming of the ANC and the DA. The undeniable truth is that Johannesburg is in crisis.

02:40:56Service delivery has collapsed, infrastructure is decaying before our eyes, power and water outages are now part of the daily life in this city. Potholes are left to multiply, refuse goes uncollected, and lawlessness is left unchecked. Our city entities, like City Power, are literally buckling under the weight of corruption, dysfunction, and gross mismanagement. And yet, Speaker, in the face of all this, what are the ANC and DA doing?

02:41:26They are not rolling up their sleeves to fix it. They are not interested in building stable, functional government. No. Instead, they are plotting, backstabbing, and horse-trading. They are obsessed with positions, not solutions. They are obsessed with power, not people. So, let me be clear. ActionSA will not defend Mayor Dada Morero. We will not vote to keep a mayor who has presided over this mess. Johannesburg is falling apart,

02:41:56and his leadership has failed. That much is clear. What's more shocking is the silence of the EFF, IFP, and PA. Who know full well that this is a mayor who doesn't bother to consult in the State of the City Address, doesn't bother to consult the budget, and does not even bother to inform you when launching the so-called bomb squad.

02:42:28But let me also be equally clear that ActionSA will not be used as a pawn in the DA's latest cheap stunt. Because this motion is so clearly not about fixing the city. It is about the residents of Johannesburg. It is not about the city, it is not about the residents of Johannesburg. It is a publicity stunt. It is a desperate gimmick by the party that is every bit as guilty as the ANC in collapsing this city.

02:43:00As I stand here, the DA has made zero effort in engaging ActionSA, the largest, the third largest party in this council, or other key parties about what comes next. There is no plan, no vision, no stability, just a shameless plot to mask their deceit and betrayal of the residents. In fact, Speaker, ActionSA can reveal that Al Jama-ah,

02:43:29a coalition partner in the GLU, approached our president, Ntate Herman Mashaba, on behalf of DA, practically begging us to support this motion. Now I ask, why on earth would Al Jama-ah be doing the bidding of the DA? Well, straight from their own mouth, they have a commitment from the DA to restore Councillor Kabelo Gwamanda as the mayor if this motion succeeds. Yes. Yes.

02:44:00Yes, the very same DA that laid criminal charges against Gwamanda, accusing him of defrauding the residents, now wants to hand him back the mayoral chain. You could not make it up. Thankfully, ActionSA does not trade in deception and will never be part of the DA's dishonest scheming that betrays the residents of Johannesburg for cheap political point-scoring. ActionSA cannot and will not support a motion that seeks to replace a failed mayor with another.

02:44:32And in the absence of any clear plan for a new government, we cannot support a DA-led motion that reeks of bad faith and self-interest. We are fully aware that our decision to not support Mayor Morero will likely result in the ANC retaliating against our speaker. So be it. Speaker, Speaker,

02:45:01Speaker, the bottom line is that Johannesburg has been brought to its knees by the ANC and the DA. They are both so blinded by their own political agendas that they have lost sight of the people they were meant to serve. They have both repeatedly proven that they are unfit to govern this great city. Only ActionSA has stood firm. Only ActionSA has chosen principles over position. Only ActionSA continues to fight for a Johannesburg that works for everyone.

02:45:3130 seconds remaining.

02:45:32isiZuluNgiyabonga.

ATM on the mayoral motion

02:45:50Thank you, Councillor Chuma. ATM, Councillor Magwentshu.

02:46:17Greetings, Speaker of council, Councillor Nobuhle Mthembu. Greetings to the executive mayor, Councillor Dada Morero. Greetings to the whip of council, uNkosiphayo Zungu. Greetings to all Section 79 chairpersons. Greetings to all MMCs, fellow councillors, officials, and residents of the City of Johannesburg.

02:46:47We are in council today to engage on reports that talk about developing the city and restoring it to its former glory as a city of gold. It is very unfortunate that we now find ourselves being dragged to debating a frivolous motion of no confidence against the executive mayor. Madam Speaker, as the ATM, we are fully behind the executive mayor, Councillor Sello Dada Morero. We believe

02:47:19he has what it takes to restore the city to its former glory. As much as we do not agree with him on certain aspects like the presidential task team, we are, however, encouraged to support him for his acknowledging that not all is well in the city, and he is seeking assistance that will ensure that we turn things around. His willingness to turn things around is really commendable. Our city is indeed

02:47:50in a state of disrepair, and we need all hands on deck. As the ATM, we have written a letter to the executive mayor, giving him our input on what needs to be done to realize the Joburg that we all want. As indicated earlier, Speaker, as the ATM, we will defend this motion. We will support the executive mayor and defeat this motion. Thank you.

02:48:18isiZuluSiyabonga, Councillor Magwentshu.

ACDP supports the motion

02:48:20ACDP, Councillor Harris.

02:48:33Greetings once again, Madam Speaker. Greetings to the executive mayor, MMCs, councillors, guests. I rise to speak on the motion of no confidence against the executive mayor, Councillor Dada Morero. An executive mayor is to be the glue that unifies this entire chamber in service to the City of Johannesburg. The mayor's office is supposed to be the fountain from which

02:49:03inclusive leadership, a vibrant vision, creativity, and innovation flows. As a sole shareholder representative within the entities, your voice, Mr. Mayor, should have been loudly heard encouraging these businesses to deliver on their mandate. As the leader of this administration, you should have been leading the charge within the core to make Johannesburg the world-class African city the public relations departments have been trumpeting. Instead, the supply of water in certain areas is intermittent, with water tankers

02:49:38being the new normal in service delivery, while your office is silent. Large parts of the city are subjected to power failures caused by slow, reactive maintenance and vandalism, internally and externally, at an industrial scale, while your office is silent. Our roads and public spaces and public assets are dirty and broken, caused in part by citizens who have adopted the don't-care attitude of this administration.

02:50:07To add insult to injury, the GLU, under your leadership, has forced through price increases for utilities that the overextended customers of the city cannot afford. Appeals for the ending of the surcharge on prepaid electricity has fallen on deaf ears. In light of the growing massive overdraft of City Power, it is evident that the city is not capable of effectively holding entities to account for the management or mismanagement

02:50:38of the revenue they receive. Instead of drawing on the ideas, suggestions, and strategies of all the elected councillors in this house, Mr. Mayor, through you, Madam Speaker, has capitulated to the voice of his political masters and unilaterally introduced what he termed the bomb squad. What an indictment and a vote of no confidence in his officials. This is a clear indication that the EM is a factional leader, bereft of ideas,

02:51:11but hell-bent on following his own counsel. The ACDP is deeply concerned about the economic, sociological, and psychological stress the residents of Johannesburg are enduring. This council cannot afford a leader who is oblivious to the trauma being experienced. It is for this reason that the ACDP supports the motion of no confidence as tabled. I thank you.

IFP opposes the motion

02:51:43Thank you, Councillor Harris. IFP, MMC Mabaso.

02:51:55isiZuluYini bafowethu lento ingafuni ukuma nje?

02:51:59The Speaker of council, the executive mayor,

02:52:07isiZuluUsazoba u-mayor nakusasa.

02:52:11The honorable councillors, the residents of Johannesburg. Nine months into office, the executive mayor and this administration find themselves having to debate and defend against a motion of no confidence. A motion I regard as a regrettable distraction from the stability and the progress we have made to manage the stability in the City of Johannesburg.claim

02:52:39In this current term of office, the City of Johannesburg has witnessed more mayoral change than meaningful service delivery. Any councillor, caucus, or a political party that truly, truly prioritize the state of our city will not engage in actions that seek to derail the gains made toward destabilizing the governance of this city. We must not repeat the turbulence that our residents

02:53:09have had to endure throughout this political term. We have an obligation to prioritize service delivery. Speaker, you are fully aware and can attest that in 2022, the then-executive mayor, Mpho Phalatse, made several attempts to save her administration. ActionSA brought forward proposal aimed at fostering stability. However,

02:53:39each of those proposals were rejected by the leadership of Democratic Alliance. I was present in those meetings.

02:53:48isiZuluAngixoxelwa, angizwa ngendaba.

02:53:50I speak from experience. This motion, in my view, is a direct continuation of the instability first sought in 2022. It appears as an ongoing crisis being deliberately orchestrated, possibly to serve the ambitions of the federal chairperson, who may be positioning herself as a future mayoral candidate under the disguise of being a savior in Johannesburg.

02:54:22Let me be unequivocal, Speaker. The IFP has never and will never participate in or support any efforts that seek to destabilize governance. Even when we are in the opposition, we have consistently exercised our oversight role with responsibility and integrity because for us, it's not about the political grandstanding, but it's about the residents, the ratepayers, and the community we are duty-bound

02:54:51to serve. Speaker, we are wasting taxpayers' money debating this motion that serves no constructive purpose. This motion does not advance governance nor service delivery. It's a political maneuvering we categorically reject.

02:55:10isiZuluLe-motion nje sizoyichitha

02:55:12for the benefit of the residents of Johannesburg. Thank you very much.

02:55:21isiZuluSiyabonga, MMC Mabaso.

PAC opposes the motion

02:55:25PAC, MMC Nkokou.

02:55:37Honorable Speaker, let me rise today with unwavering clarity to state that I firmly oppose this motion of no confidence against the executive mayor, Councillor Sello Dada Morero. This motion is a political distraction, devoid of both developmental rationale and historical responsibility.

02:56:07At its core, this motion is an attempt to remove a mayor who is finally stabilizing the City of Johannesburg after years of coalition chaos and fiscal mismanagement. And we must be honest with ourselves, this motion is not about governance, but about ideological resistance to transformation.

02:56:37Number one, the ideological posture of the motion who is against the progress. Let me begin by addressing what cannot go unsaid. Some of the political parties seated on the right of this chamber, and it's not only fitting that they sit on the ideological right, are consistently refusing to accept the irreversible imperative

02:57:08of revolutionary change and the restoration of African dignity. They oppose land reform in substance, not just in process. They obstruct efforts to correct the apartheid spatial planning. They are here today, they seek to remove a mayor who has dared to place the interests of the African working-class majority

02:57:38at the center of the city's budget. These are not neutral arguments. These are deep political contradictions. These are those who long for a return of the old order, disguised as technocratic concern. Their discomfort is not with how the mayor governs, but with who and what he represents.

02:58:09A break from a liberal conservatism and a turn toward pro-poor, African-centered, transformative governance. So yes, they sit on the right, and they act like it. Number two, on the allegation of bias and collapse. The motion alleges that the mayor is partisan and has failed to be impartial. But under Mayor

02:58:39Morero's leadership, the council has functioned, committees have sat, budgets have been passed, and crucially, a funded budget has been adopted, something that his immediate predecessor could not deliver. There is a difference between being decisive and being divisive. Decisive and being

02:59:10divisive, huh? Divisive. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. It's natural, it's natural. Yeah, yeah.

02:59:19SesothoHa re bua sekgowa ha re lwana banna.

02:59:22The mayor has been decisive in stabilizing the government. What some interpret as bias is in fact political clarity. Achievements that cannot be ignored. A fully funded budget. After years of budgets riddled with shortfalls and roll-overs, this administration has passed a credible, implementable, and funded budget that prioritizes service delivery,

02:59:51infrastructure development, and township renewal. Restoration of financial health. The city budget has grown

03:00:00to over 80 billion with improved fiscal alignment and reduced dependency on unfunded mandates. Political stability, Mayor Morero inherit a city paralyzed by coalition instability. Today Johannesburg has a functioning executive administrative direction and service delivery targets that are being met. Own budget, own accountability for the first time since 2021 local government [inaudible].

03:00:30SepediMMC, no o na le three minutes. Ke kopa o wrap up, ee.

03:00:35Wrap up. Please. I'm doing that. Thank you very much. You are a very firm Speaker. The mayor will implement a budget developed under his own leadership. It is not only just and democratic that he is evaluated on its outcome not undermined before even begins. Let us not suffer collective amnesia. The previous mayors

03:01:01presided over an era of musical chairs where mayor after

03:01:05Ah MMC, ah no your time is up. MMC, I gave you time allowance and you still, yeah. Thank you so much MMC. I would like to call the next speaker on our list from Good Party, Councillor Cook. Before you come in Councillor Cook,

03:01:28Please man, as a progressive comrade I would like to donate my two minutes of my allocated time to the MMC so that he can wrap up. Thank you very much. It's my time, can give it. Thank you.

03:01:41Please hold on. Let me check, I didn't see Councillor Raphadu on the list. I didn't see you on the list. Let me check, let me. Oh, he is. How many minutes are you getting Raphadu? Okay, all right. So you are there Councillor Raphadu. You are donating your two minutes, which means you will speak for 8 minutes instead of 10. Two minutes, the timer please.

03:02:06Two minutes MMC neh.

03:02:07Thank you comrade, thank you very much comrade. Comparison with predecessors, let us not suffer collective amnesia. The previous mayor presided over an era of musical chairs where mayoral items were shorter than budget cycles. They left behind unfunded projections, bloated personal plans, and declining service standards. Under Mayor Morero the city has returned to basic funding what is promised and delivering what is planned. This progress is tangible. It is tangible and it deserve our support.

03:02:51Number five, the vote before us, a matter of historical accountability. Colleagues, this is not a just a procedural vote. It is a vote on the future we want for Johannesburg. Do we reward ideological sabotage and policy obstructionism? Or do we affirm that government must serve the people, especially the majority who remain on the margins?

03:03:20This is not a vote about Councillor Morero alone. It's a vote about whether Johannesburg move forward or returns to chaos. Let us reject this motion of no confidence. Let us give this mayor the mandate to implement the budget he fought to pass. Let us allow history to judge him not by political noise, but by developmental outcomes. Viva, comrade Dada, viva!

03:03:51isiZuluIzwe lethu!

GOOD rejects the motion but warns the mayor

03:04:03Thank you, MMC. Councillor Cook from the Good Party.

03:04:09Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I've mentioned many times in this council that Johannesburg is a city in crisis. Service delivery is broken. Trust in local government is at an all-time low. The city is hemorrhaging capacity and credibility, and yet here we are again playing politics while people suffer. Let me be clear, Good has been very critical of Mayor Morero's leadership.

03:04:39He has promised urgency, but sometimes delivered inertia. The reality for millions of residents is worsening decay, widening inequality, and deepening frustration. That said, Johannesburg has become a revolving door of leadership. We've seen more than seven mayors in seven years, and each reshuffle has been followed by not a recovery, but more dysfunction. This chaos serves politicians and political parties,claim

03:05:10but it does not serve the people of Johannesburg. Good has decided that we will not support the motion to remove the mayor today. We believe Joburg cannot survive another round of instability. I must, however, make this absolutely clear. Our vote is not an endorsement. It's a wake-up call. Mayor Morero must use the powers of his office not just to manage, but to lead. That means restructuring his executive, confronting underperformance,

03:05:40and purging the rotten apples in his GLU coalition who are abusing public resources, blocking reform, or serving private interests above public good. Johannesburg needs a mayor who is willing to govern with backbone, not just balance political interests. This council must stop treating coalitions as comfort zones for incompetence. The people of Johannesburg deserve better. Speaker, Good will continue to act in the interests of residents,

03:06:11not political parties. We will support what is good, we will challenge what is failing, and we will demand integrity, delivery, and action. Johannesburg cannot afford more instability, but it can also not afford more excuses. Speaker, through you, I urge the mayor to let this moment count. Mayor Morero, take this wake-up call, make the changes, purge the rot, and get back to work. Good rejects the motion in order to keep Mayor Morero.

UDM opposes the motion

03:06:48Thank you, Councillor. UDM, Councillor Zigebe.

03:06:58isiXhosaSingi stoks apha. Ndiyocela uNontsapho apha kuphela.

03:07:06Madam Speaker, we gather yet again in this council chamber not to chart a path forward for Johannesburg, but to defend it against yet a self-serving attempt at destabilization. A motion that does not emerge from a crisis of governance, but from a crisis of political ego. Let the residents of the City of Johannesburg understand this is not about accountability, it is about access to power. The motion before us today is tabled by those who have made it their missionemotive

03:07:39to ensure that Johannesburg remains ungovernable. Not because they have a better alternative, but because they cannot stomach not being in charge. They are the architects of disorder, the very individuals who shout about democratic principles while simultaneously torpedoing every effort at stability. Let us address the central claim that Mayor Dada Morero is biased and partisan. But I ask a question, which mayor in this council has not emerged from political coalition arrangements?emotive

03:08:11That is the nature of our democratic setup, unfortunately. The mayor was elected legally and through council processes, and unlike others before him, he has not weaponized that power. He has led through chaos with calm, through instability with steadiness. The city has begun rebuilding financially, administratively, institutionally. It is not perfect, but it is recovering. And every time we make progress, those who cannot lead, who refuse to govern, resurface with a motion to reset the table.emotive

03:08:45And let us not mince our words about ActionSA, who will choose to abstain on this item. Abstention is not neutrality, it is complicity. Those who sit on the fence today are not to be trusted by the residents of Johannesburg. They are part of this game of destabilization. They came into the government of local unity declaring boldly that they were here to make Joburg work, to make Joburg great again. But at a very critical junction, they have defined themselves outside of government, outside of discipline, and outside of responsibility.emotive

03:09:17They are hypocrites of the highest order. And let us not forget, this motion is tabled by a party, the DA, that has turned to import a colonialist and apartheid apologist to come and stand as a mayoral candidate in the 2026 local government elections because in here, in this chamber, amongst their caucus, there is no one who's good enough to lead. It's almost laughable that such a party would dare speak of effective leadership.emotive

03:09:46isiXhosaWenzeni uCouncillor Pelzeremotive

03:09:48that you make her a bridesmaid? Speaker, we must say today, enough with instability, enough with manufactured crisis, enough with opportunistic games that treat the city as a chessboard and residents as pawns. Johannesburg deserves better. Honorable members, we're not here to protect an individual. Is he perfect? No, because none of us are. But let us give him a chance to implement what he has introduced. Let us not be afraid that it may actually workemotive

03:10:20and take this city to its realization of being a world-class African city. Let us protect Johannesburg from those who would rather burn it down than build it. I thank you.emotive

03:10:34isiZuluSiyabonga

Al Jama-ah rejects the motion

03:10:35Councillor Zigebe. Al Jama-ah, Councillor Gwamanda.

03:10:47Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Good afternoon to yourself. Good afternoon to the Executive Mayor in the City of Johannesburg. Good afternoon to all councillors present. Eh Madam Speaker, I'm flattered man eh. Every time ActionSA eh goes on TV, Councillor Gwamanda is inherent in their debate.

03:11:16Eh I don't know what it is about this councillor that preoccupies them. I guess that's why I'm tired because I've been running in people's minds the whole night.

03:11:29Ah but that as it may eh Madam Speaker, um I'd like to just inform them that eh ActionSA if through thick and thin was a political party, I'm sure it would have Al Jama-ah colors there in the government of local unity. Um but we rise, Madam Speaker, on this item to comment. And we'd also like to be clear about the fact that we are not protecting individuals from individual political parties,

03:12:00but we are protecting a decision, a collective decision by the eh government of local unity. That decision is based on principle, and we have identified and put forward those that are representing eh this collective. Madam Speaker, this is because we have always aligned ourselves um with prospects of a political program which seeks to liberate

03:12:30our people from a protracted, unfortunately, state of deprivation, even in the context of a government of choice. And it emulates a well-rounded balance of forces um which we, as Al Jama-ah, um identify and adhere to in line with our unity of purpose. We have always understood this principle to be inherent in the GLU, Madam Speaker.

03:12:59That the government of local unity will always put the people first. Like I said, I'm not debating, but I'm commenting. And therefore, uh Madam Speaker, without taking any of the time that is left, in accordance with the collective resolution of the GLU that was taken, of which Al Jama-ah is a member of, we reject the motion of no confidence against the incumbent, uh Councillor Dada Morero.

03:13:29Um I was tempted to establish whether this motion aims to defend the previous mayor or the current mayor, but let me be clear that we are defending the current mayor. So when you debate, it's about the current mayor. I'm just an ordinary councillor. Thank you very much.

AIC rejects the motion

03:13:50Thank you, Councillor Gwamanda. AIC, MMC Arnolds.

03:14:03Good afternoon, Madam Speaker. Good afternoon to the Executive Mayor and all councillors present. The AIC rise today to categorically reject the motion of no confidence in Executive Mayor Councillor Dada Morero. This motion is without merit. It is not grounded in performance, nor in principle. It is a thinly veiled attempt to destabilize the city's leadership and reverse the gains made under

03:14:35the government of local unity. Let us speak plainly. Johannesburg was in crisis when Mayor Morero assumed office. He inherited a fractured coalition, a city plagued by service delivery backlogs and declined public trust. And yet, in the face of all this, he brought stability, direction, and results. He has put Johannesburg on a path to recovery, guided by consultation,claim

03:15:05policy integrity, and a clear developmental vision. Through you, Speaker, Councillor Belinda, ek hoor alles. The State of the City, the SOCA, delivered by the mayor was not a sugar-coated campaign speech. It was honest, it was grounded, and deeply introspective. It acknowledged the city's shortcomings while mapping out a credible, implementable path forward. That kind of leadership, humble,

03:15:40accountable, and strategic is what this city needs. The confidence in his leadership is not confined to only this chamber. National government itself has reaffirmed its trust in Johannesburg's leadership. When President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the city earlier this year, it was more than just a ceremonial visit. It was a clear and symbolic moment of endorsement, a reaffirmation of Joburg's central role as a world-class

03:16:14African city and the leadership driving it forward. Mayor Morero has not led alone. He has done so within the framework of the government of local unity, an inclusive model that reflects the will of this multi-party council and the complexity of our city. He has governed through consensus, not coercion, through delivery, and not distraction.

03:16:44The motion then is not about failure. It's about those who are uncomfortable with competence. It is about those who cannot accept that the city has moved on from the chaos of the past and is now being led with dignity and determination. We, as the African Independent Congress, will not support the motion. We affirm our confidence in Mayor Morero, in the GLU, and in the journey of rebuilding Johannesburg, not for political gain,

03:17:18but for the millions who live, work, and dream in this great city. We reject this motion with the contempt that it needs.

EFF rejects the motion

03:17:31Thank you, MMC Arnolds. EFF, MMC Tshwaku.

03:17:42Thank you very much, uh Speaker. Greetings to the caucus of the EFF, the mayor that is here today, also all the other councillors that are here. I'm not going to waste too much of your time. We, as the EFF, we reject the motion of no confidence uh to the Executive Mayor. Reason being is that

03:18:10as the EFF, we've decided to put politics aside and say let us do service delivery. Of course, you can say, like ActionSA, that there are issues that uh mayor does not consult, all those are just minor issues. The mayor knows that if there are issues that we need to talk about, he's a phone call away. And then he said, "No, mnganam, let us be able to, this is what is happening."

03:18:40So, he can't be punished on that. And under this leadership, this collective we're here,

03:18:50isiZuluinto abangafuni

03:18:52that they don't know is that we've, for a very longest time, even when the DA and the ActionSA were in power, they have never installed a chief. But myself and the mayor and this collective here, we are the ones that for the first time of the five years, there was a chief of police of JMPD.

03:19:13isiZuluIngenile.

03:19:16Look at the stability. Look at the stability of JMPD, it's getting there. It's not there what we want. Even you can say to yourself, even if you don't want to say it because nicodemously you come to me and ask and ask, you want bylaw enforcement, there are criminals in your area, but you won't say it here. There's some stability there. Under this leadership again, we've managed to hire a director of bylaw. There was no director of, they were acting. There was an acting uh, you know, they were acting

03:19:49all the time. But now when we met, I said, "EM, these are the issues," and said, "Okay, let us all meet." He said we put bylaw as a priority. And within a month or so, boom, there's a director of bylaw, cutting all red tapes to stabilize, to stabilize the this JMPD. So do you want us to punish him because of that? I don't know those ones of the ActionSA because you see, ActionSA,

03:20:20the problem with them is that they are staff riders, position mongers, stubborn and arrogant, people who don't understand the difference between politics, party politics, and the governance. They have very difficult, you know, when you're having some, you know, uh, you know, a partner, a girlfriend,

03:20:44isiXhosaizinto zinzima.

03:20:46It's a, that's a bad girlfriend, that one.

03:20:52isiXhosaAbeva,

03:20:53they don't, they can't come to the table and do, you know, a better uh this debate. So coming to the DA, the problem with the DA is that the DA, they don't like black people. They are racist people. They don't believe in black leadership. When we entered here, the mess that the DA did in the public safety is unimaginable. It's unimaginable, but we've never said that.

03:21:22When we entered, first thing first, JMPD did not even have guns. But under this leadership, we have fast-tracked that we must have guns. When we entered, JMPD, they didn't have cars. Under this leadership, all of us here, we managed to push that JMPD has cars and there's police visibility. So they come here and grandstand here because the problem with them is that they don't believe that there's the black excellence. They are always racist

03:21:53every single time. They're always checking what's happening, how can we deal with this thing here. When we entered here, they finished all the money. They finished all the money. We had to correct their nonsense every single time. Now they come to destabilize us. We are cruising very nicely. Joburg very nicely.

03:22:16isiXhosaNdithe kuni,

03:22:18I'm remaining silent because

03:22:20isiZulunginibhekile,

03:22:21I'm just watching all of you. And I've been watching every single time because we are working. Public safety department is working very well.

03:22:29isiXhosaUyayazi naye lo, uSolomon,

03:22:32MMC, 30 seconds.

03:22:34and all these departments here, we are pulling, we're trying our best. I know, even the mayors when

03:22:40isiXhosandimfonela ebusuku ndithi, "Heyi, kunzima." Ndithi, "Heyi, ndiyambona shem uzama i-high impact service delivery. Siyazama ngapha." Sithi makabambe nangapha, "Kodwa at least uyazama shem." Kunzima njalo

03:22:54because of the mess left by them. They did chaos, they've changed everything. There was no money, they ate everything.

03:23:02isiXhosaSo ndithi masigqibe mhllekazi le term.

03:23:07Uh we'll be having some ama-difficulties there and there, you know, because it's not going to be perfect. But you can't be punishing nje ukuthi, "Oh, no, no, let us pass a vote of no confidence." Bathi thina we can do better. Do better what? You should have done it from the time you were there. This Joburg, we have to clean it. You said you've cleaned. You said ActionSA ithe it has cleaned buildings. Which buildings? Which buildings?

03:23:32MMC, igqibe, kha.

03:23:33Uh even in court it's still there. Uh your Casa Mia is still there. Uh but this uh team here, led by the mayor, two buildings now have been cleaned. You know, i-Moti ne, Moti building le ibinohlula nina.

03:23:48Thank you so much.

03:23:49So we reject this motion.

03:23:51isiXhosaMajola, makuqhubekeke mani. Eh you know, kunzima. Kunzima,

03:23:54MMC Tshwaku.

03:23:55you know, sometimes, but we're okay. We reject this motion.

03:24:20SesothoKhanselara e bile o tshega tshetso. O tshega tshetso.

ANC rejects the motion

03:24:25Hey! MMC Tshwaku. We'll move over to ANC, Councillor Raphadu. Remember, it's not 10 minutes anymore, Chairperson, it's 8 minutes.

03:24:41Thank you very much, Madam Speaker, for reminding me that uh my generosity will come back to haunt me. But as a generous comrade, I needed to give the MMC an opportunity to finish his speech so that uh the issues that he wanted to raise can be greatly amplified through his speech. Madam Speaker, every day we, as ward councillors, wake up to listen

03:25:12and respond to the voices of our residents, every day. And service delivery is at the top of their cries. We know and understand that Johannesburg is besieged by many challenges, but we've just spent close to 45 minutes here debating a frivolous motion based on jealousy

03:25:38Sesothole mona.claim

03:25:40Madam Speaker, change is painful, and the DA know, and that's why they're pushing this motion to destabilize and remove the mayor. The city has a plan to take the residents of the City of Johannesburg forward. The city has a plan to turn around many of the challenges that we are facing. And in the nine months that we've been in power, we have demonstrated that ability to soldier on and navigate

03:26:13the choppy waters that we had faced coming into this administration. It is very sad that the same DA that are crying and saying the mayor doesn't have the ability or the energy to respond to some of their challenges. But it worries me, Madam Speaker, that it is the same DA that did not support the budget that is aimed at servicing those residents that they are claiming to represent today. It is the same ActionSA

03:26:44that are saying there's water challenges and there's electricity uh breakdowns in our communities. They did not challenge or support the budget. It is sad that the DA in itself are not coherent and are not united. They raise an issue that they don't know anything about the bomb squad. They raise that they know they want term of reference of the bomb squad. Madam Speaker, let me assist you.

03:27:15This is an email from Councillor Martin Williams, and it is written to Mrs. Muthupi, one of the bomb squad members. Ne? It says, "Congratulation on your appointment to the group of eminent persons who are who have been asked to assist Mayor Morero to deal with the challenges facing the City of Johannesburg." Councillor Williams, here, it's an email. I can give privy to you.emotive

03:27:47So it is sad that the DA are saying they don't recognize or understand, but they're congratulating Mayor Morero and the people that he has put in place to take the city forward. It is very sad. It is funny, and it smells of political grandstanding, and that's why I've said we've spent 45 minutes that we could have been dealing with substantive issues and matters affecting our residents in the City of Johannesburg. Madam Speaker,emotive

03:28:17again, change is painful. Maybe while they're seated across the floor that side, they're reminiscing of coming this side. It is the DA that sought to destabilize this administration by taking this administration to court uh in terms of the VIP protection policy, thinking that that will stop our MMCs from reaching our communities and dispensingemotive

03:28:49the necessary service delivery that is needed, and that never happened. They sought to make sure that at every turn and every corneremotive

03:28:59Sesothoba re dribula, ba re driba,emotive

03:29:02but we are continuing to soldier on. Change is painful. Let them wait as much as they are claiming that come 2026, come 2026. If they want to gauge the mood and the support of the residents, let them wait for 2026 and not use this platform to gauge that response that, "Are our people with us? Will they support these things?" Because we, as a collective of the government of local unity,emotive

03:29:33are steadfast in changing the landscape, are steadfast in making sure that the city does indeed work. Madam Speaker, tough times don't make, let me repeat that. Tough times don't last, they only create tough people. And the insults that the mayor has been, yoh, enduringemotive

03:30:00from Jojo to what what to what whatemotive

03:30:05makes him stronger and more determined to move forward in making sure that they change this thing.emotive

03:30:11Very much so. So we are clear as the ANC, Madam Speaker. We are clearemotive

03:30:17that this is political grandstanding at its best.emotive

03:30:21And we'll never sit back and let opportunists comeemotive

03:30:28to make a mockery of this institution. We could have been dealing with substantive issues. We could have been dealing with what our residents, when I started that we wake up to listen and respond to their voices.emotive

03:30:43But this 45 minutes we just wasted on just jealousyemotive

03:30:49and the pain of change.emotive

03:30:51SesothoE bohloko. Re a tseba le ronaemotive

03:30:53we were on the other side. Today we are this side and we are dispensing our responsibilities as this Government of Local Unity. And Madam Speaker, we reject this motion with the contempt that it deserves. Thank you very much.emotive

03:31:13Thank you, Chairperson Raphadu.

Proposer's reply and points of order

03:31:16I'd like to go back to the proposer

03:31:21which is Councillor Christians.

03:31:33Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, Councillor Raphadu has had to endure 45 minutes of what he calls. Residents of Johannesburg for the last 17 years have had to endure the longest service liberation movement that has put us to where we are now.claimemotive

03:31:48We talk about stability, but what is the stability that we are in right now? Residents do not have electricity. They do not have water. They are scared to drive at night because they don't know which donga their car is going to go into. And they talk about stability. That is not stability. That is instability.

03:32:06So while we are against progress, so Councillor Nkokou, we are against progress of dysfunctionality, and that is what you have given to us.emotive

03:32:16So when you talk about 2026, we may not even have a city to deal with in 2026. That is why this motion is here today and we have to deal with it now. So when the residents hear that this motion has been defeated by the ANC, EFF, AIC, UDM, GOOD, PAC, IFP and ATM.emotive

03:32:37And of course, the PA is too scared to talk so they didn't speak. But they will vote with them. Why? Because positions are more important to them, yet they want to asperse us onto us. We are not here for positions. We are here for the residents of Johannesburg.emotive

03:32:53So let me conclude by sayingemotive

03:32:56isiZuluumuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.

03:33:00And the people you have surrounded yourself with are the ones that are leading you down the wrong road. And that is why you need to listen to the people on this side to be led along the right path.emotive

03:33:13Councillor Christians,

03:33:16please sit down. Point of order, MMC Kunene.emotive

03:33:21Thank you, Madam Speaker. We went to school to learn

03:33:25the language of the British.

03:33:28Councillor can't insult us.

03:33:32He said an insult there. If he can't speak Zulu, he must go to school.emotive

03:33:38He said an insult. He insulted us there.

03:33:40isiZuluUmuntu ngumuntu ngama ngabantu.emotive

03:33:43What is this?emotive

03:33:45He must withdraw that insult.emotive

03:33:49Ah, MMCemotive

03:33:50He must withdraw that insult, Madam Speaker.emotive

03:33:52MMC He must withdraw that insult.emotive

03:33:54MMC He must go to a Zulu school here.emotive

03:33:58MMC Kunene. Uh-uh, MMC. No, MMC.emotive

03:34:04Councillor Christians, please wrap up. You are left with 18 seconds.emotive

03:34:10Speaker!emotive

03:34:13Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it's quite clear that those whoemotive

03:34:17Councillor Christians.emotive

03:34:20Councillor Cook.emotive

03:34:24Speaker, um I rise on a point of order. Uh Councillor Christians is deliberately misleading the house. GOOD has made it very clear that we are not part of the GLU currently and that this was not a debate of uh positions, so please can you retract?emotive

03:34:41Councillor Cook, remember he's the proposer. It's his speech now.emotive

03:34:47Councillor Christians, you are left withemotive

03:34:49Speaker, he's misleading the house.emotive

03:34:51Councillor Cook,emotive

03:34:52He's misleading the house, Speaker.emotive

03:34:54Councillor Cook, it is his speech now. He is the proposeremotive

03:34:58You are not entitled to mislead the house during your speech.emotive

03:35:01Councillor Cook, the proposer cannot respond to each and everyemotive

03:35:08question or you know, comment. The proposer. So please, you've had your chance to say what you wanted to say.emotive

03:35:17Let him finish off as the proposer. He's left with 13 seconds.emotive

03:35:26In conclusion, Madam Speaker, those who stand for nothing will fall for everything. So we can decide to be fence-sitters or we can actually vote in favour of this motion. Or else the megalomania tendency that is currently happening here will continue. You could clearly see many speeches were written by one person, because the message is just one: call the DA racist and we'll get away with it. I thank you.emotive

03:36:04Both? Okay.

Vote on the motion of no confidence in the Executive Mayor

03:36:08Councillors, we have heard the debates. Now it's time to vote by a show of hands. I'll start with all the councillors that are in support of this motion.

03:36:19Please hold on.

03:36:22Please hold on. Councillors, please lower your hands. Chairperson Raphadu.

03:36:34Raise a hand here. Raise a hand.

03:36:36Which one is it? Councillor Makapane or Councillor Raphadu?

03:36:40Makapane.

03:36:41I acknowledged Councillor Raphadu first.

03:36:43Okay.

03:36:45Thank you, Speaker. I thought as per norm, we would ring the bell. Uh so that those councillors, because they sat here for 45 minutes of nothing, um can come back at least. Maybe they went to the loo. Please ring the bell for us.

03:37:01Thank you, Speaker. Can we just ring the bell so that everyone is here, but uh Chief Whip of Council, I think this is something that you also need to think about because it happens in each and every sitting. Can we get three minutes?

03:37:16Or just ring it. Please ring the bell, and then when you stop, we'll continue.

03:38:31Councillors, I hope everyone is inside the council chambers. We are about to start with the voting process. Please listen carefully. All those councillors in favour of this motion, please raise your hands.

03:38:54You must pose the question. Those who are opposed?

03:38:59Councillor Christians, we are voting now. What's your point of order, kanti?

03:40:17Councillors, you can lower your hands.

03:40:22All those councillors against this motion, please raise your hands.

03:40:51It's obvious.

03:40:55Speaker, they're taking pictures from the gallery.

03:41:05isiZuluAyi samajournalist.

03:41:06Isn't it the journalists?

03:41:13Sinenhlanhla, is it the journalists that are taking pictures or it's guests? It's not? It's guests. Please go check upstairs.

03:41:46isiZulu[singing] Uzolala emaveni wena malume. Uzolala emaveni amaphoyisa agcwele itende. Uzolala emaveni wena malume. Uzolala emaveni amaphoyisa agcwele itende. Uzolala emaveni wena malume. Uzolala emaveni amaphoyisa agcwele itende. Uzolala emaveni wena malume.

03:42:31Councillors, you can lower your hands.

03:42:37All those councillors that are abstaining from this voting process, please raise your hands.

03:44:29Councillors, you can lower your hands. Let's give legal a minute or two to consolidate the results.

03:46:43Councillors, the results are as follows. The councillors who abstained from this voting process: 43. The yeses: 75. The nos: 144. The motion does not pass.

03:47:40isiZulu[singing] Uzobahlola uzobahlola ma uzobahlola. Weh uzobahlola uzobahlola. Uzobashaya shaya iDA.

03:48:09Uh councillors, we proceed with the second motion.

03:48:15Councillors, should we proceed with all our motions then go

Motion of no confidence in the Whip of Council: proposer and seconder

03:48:28Uh we are now on the second motion and that is the motion of no confidence against the Whip of Council, Councillor Sthembiso Zungu.

03:48:38Councillors, please settle down. Please settle down. I see a lot of movements.

03:48:43Speaker, we are hungry.

03:48:46So please settle down.

03:48:55I'd like to call the proposer for this motion which is Councillor Sifumba.

03:49:42Thank you, Speaker, and good afternoon uh to the entire house. Good afternoon to the residents of the City of Johannesburg. Speaker, I, Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba, hereby table a notice of motion in terms of Chapter 7 and Rules, Chapter 7 and Rule 89 and 94(1) of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council. The proposer and the seconder hereby submit the following motion.

03:50:10Speaker, believing that this council has lost all confidence in the Whip of Council in the City of Johannesburg and that a motion of no confidence against the Whip of Council, Councillor Sthembiso Zungu, be passed by council. Speaker, I'm going to give you a little bit of background to this. Um the Whip of Council has failed to effectively manage the relationship between political parties represented in council, and that under his whippery, the relationship between political parties in council has become extremely partisan. It has become biased and dysfunctional, where an atmosphere of mistrust is permeating.

03:50:52Councillor Zungu has failed to provide leadership in facilitating consensus amongst the various political parties represented in council. It is therefore recommended, Speaker, that a motion of a vote of no confidence against the Whip of Council, Councillor Sthembiso Zungu, be passed by council. That upon the passing of the motion, the vacancy for the position of Whip of Council be filled in accordance with the applicable legislation. I therefore propose as Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba. Thank you, Speaker.

03:51:40Does the house agree to this motion?

03:51:43No!

03:51:48We'll therefore proceed to debate this motion. I'd like to call the seconder, Councillor Crichton.

03:52:03Thank you, Speaker. It's Councillor Crichton. Uh good afternoon, Madam Speaker. I, Councillor Michael Crichton, hereby rise to second the motion of no confidence in the Whip of Council, Councillor Sthembiso Zungu. Under Councillor Zungu's watch, we have witnessed a deterioration of relationships between parties in the chamber, and there's been a shocking lack of discipline and decorum in the council. He is very partisan in the manner in which he deals with different councillors in the house. What is also concerning is that the multi-party whippery meetings have been reduced to a mere tick-box exercise. As the DA, we therefore encourage the house to support this motion. I thank you.

Debate on the Whip motion: IFP and ActionSA

03:52:52Thank you, Councillor. IFP, Councillor Khanyile.

03:53:01No, thank you very much, uh Madam Speaker. Uh greetings to you, Executive Mayor, uh our caucus leader, uh Councillor, uh our MMC Mabaso, uh councillors. A motion of no confidence uh must be tabled to address a poor performance and inconsistency to the execution of the responsibility, Madam Speaker. When I first saw this motion in the agenda, I asked myself,

03:53:31isiZuluhhawu bakithi kodwa wenzeni uGwabini? Wenzeni uManzini?

03:53:39The council has a function, is functioning well, and we can't rule out of the mistake that can be identified. Every incumbent in the office is bound to make a mistake, in the certain mistake I should say. But I don't think that it's a material in the way that could warrant a removal from the office. Madam Speaker, let's not try to fix something that is not broken

03:54:07because we want to deal with our political egos.

03:54:13There are many issues that we were worried about, and a certain position of the whip is not on those things. Madam Speaker, the issue of the service delivery in the City of Johannesburg should be a concern for all of us, not a certain whip of individual. We should be able to come with a reasonable resolution to try to deal with the service delivery, not to putting uh first the issue of our political agendas.

03:54:48Chief Whip of the council have done uh so wonderful uh so far since he started, and a good communication and engaging all the political whip with due respect. With those words, uh Speaker, as the IFP, we are not supporting this motion. Thank you.

03:55:10isiZuluSiyabonga,

03:55:11Councillor Khanyile. ActionSA, Councillor Coutriers.

03:55:21Madam Speaker, good morning, good afternoon, I don't know where we are now. Good afternoon. And good afternoon to the residents of Johannesburg. And again, Madam Speaker, we're here to do another, to cast another vote. Um, but it's not just another vote, uh Madam Speaker. It's to confront a matter that cuts to the core of this council's integrity and purpose. A motion of no confidence has been brought before us, and this time against the Chief Whip of Council or the Whip of Council, nogal.emotive

03:55:56Let me state clearly from the outset, Madam Speaker, our rising on this item does not reflect apathy or indeed support. Our position is not one of neutrality. It is an ethical and moral stand, and it is a stand against opportunism. This motion, Madam Speaker, brought by the Democratic Alliance is not a genuine call for accountability. It's a political trap calculated to destabilize, to fracture and to re-engineer the balance of power in this council for partisan gain.

03:56:37But before I address that, Madam Speaker, let me pose a few necessary questions, questions that may be perceived as hanging over. Has he not acted as a unifier of caucuses? Has he not taken a stand to protect the rules of engagement in this chamber? Speaker, we must ask, is this motion a principled intervention or a strategic ambush?

03:57:02Well wait, who was it again that brought this motion? Oh yes, the DA. The same DA that has never embraced the intent to fix our city. The same DA that preaches transparency, but thrives in destabilization, and the same DA that sits in opposition to the very Government of Local Unity it now pretends to rescue from poor leadership. So we ask: Why now? Why this moment? Why this motion? Is the DA truly invested in a more capable council, or are they just engineering a political vacuum, one they hope to fill through stealth and not support?emotive

03:57:42But let's call it what it is. It's a chess move disguised as a moral stand. Speaker to Council, ActionSA refuses to be used as pawns. Colleagues, the irony is not lost on us. A motion supposedly in defence of good governance put by a party that has often walked away from the negotiating table, choosing press conferences over partnerships, petitions used to collect mailing information and disguised as a port for the public to vent dissatisfaction.emotive

03:58:16Madam Speaker, ActionSA rejects this blanket approach of cynical opportunism of a political party that seeks to exploit crises in our city for its own advancement. This council deserves better, better than an opposition that weaponizes dysfunction rather than contributes to its solution. Let our decision today on this motion of no confidence be recorded for what it is. But first, some words of advice to our Whip of Council.emotive

03:58:44Councillor Zungu, through you Speaker, never become too comfortable with what you are doing or perceived not to have done. Always do more. To the Democratic Alliance, let me use my finger: We see through your tactics. We will not rubber-stamp your quest for power and dysfunction under the guise of principle. And a message to the people of Johannesburg: some of us still believe that change should be driven by integrity and ethical leadership and not by opportunism.emotive

03:59:18We have taken this stand to rise above the fray. This is our morality, clean and ethical. We demand better from the opposition. Let this moment be remembered not for the motion, but for the reckoning that it triggered, Madam Speaker. To the residents of Johannesburg and to you, Madam Speaker, I, Councillor Marcel Coutriers, can categorically inform you that ActionSA does not support this motion of no confidence against the Whip of Council. I thank you.emotive

03:59:54Thank you, Councillor Coutriers. There's someone who left their identity card in the

04:00:00the ladies bathroom, Councillor Mohamed if you don't have your identity card with you, please come fetch it from legislature.

Debate on the Whip motion: UDM, ATM, AIC and ANC

04:00:13We'll move over to UDM

04:00:28Madam Speaker, to lead is to endure the impossible and leadership is not a podium, but it is a burden. To lead is to hold the line while being pulled by egos, ideologies and ever competing interests. Leadership means showing up when others walk out. It means being the adult in the room when others choose theatrics and above all it means remaining consistent

04:00:57even when the path is paved with criticism. Today we are not debating governance, we are participating in a well rehearsed political production, the latest episode in a campaign to collapse the very center that holds this council together. A motion has been tabled to remove the Chief Whip, and instead of honest evaluation, we are made to sit through lies, defamatory claims, and derogatory accusations masquerading as oversight. Let the record reflect,

04:01:28the Chief Whip has been nothing, but a leader of substance and fairness, a voice of calm amidst noise, a strategic head in a climate prone to volatility. He has preserved cordial working relations with all political parties, even the very opposition now attempting to erase his efforts. It must be said, members of the DA, among others, have frequently approached the Chief Whip with proposals, amendments, and requests

04:01:58on several occasions on this council, and not once were they ignored or dismissed because of their party colors. Suggestions were considered on merit, positions were taken with balance, council programs were managed in a spirit of inclusivity. Let us not be misled. Let us not mislead the people and lie to ourselves. This is not a motion born out of principle. It is born out of frustration and some cannot control this space.

04:02:28And in their inability to influence the center, they would rather collapse it. The motion is part of a broader playbook. Remove the Mayor, then the Whip, okay unfortunately, the Speaker, until what's left is chaos in council and confusion on the ground. Residents do not benefit from this strategy, only those obsessed with optics do. Let us also be clear, abstaining from this motion is not a neutral act. It is a passive

04:03:00complicity in a campaign of disorder. At a time when Johannesburg needs clarity and direction, choosing silence is choosing sides and the wrong sides. And I just heard the other part of the DA that they're rejecting this motion. Wow. We are being asked to punish a Chief Whip not for dereliction, not for misconduct, but for exercising discipline and fairness in a council

04:03:30that has often flirted with lawlessness. I reject this motion because I refuse to normalize instability. The UDM rejects this motion because we stand against the weaponization of lies for political gain. And we reject this motion because we have seen firsthand the quiet diplomacy, open-door leadership and principled balancing act the Chief Whip has maintained, even with those now pretending they were never heard. Let us govern with honesty. Let us lead

04:04:00with maturity and let us vote against this motion, not just for the Chief Whip, but for Johannesburg.

04:04:06isiXhosaNo wonder uNontsapho engafuni ukuza apha cause ayikho lento niyenzayo.

04:04:16Thank you Councillor Zigebe. ATM Councillor Magwentshu.

04:04:22Speaker, this is another frivolous motion. And I don't even want to dignify it by debating it. Because we all know the work that Councillor Zungu has done as a Whip of Council. As the ATM will therefore vote against this motion. Thank you.

04:04:48isiZuluSiyabonga Khansela Magwentshu.

04:04:50AIC MMC Arnolds.

04:05:00Good afternoon once again to everyone in the chamber. The AIC once again rises to firmly reject the motion of no confidence in the Chief Whip of Council, Councillor Zungu. This motion is not only politically opportunistic, it is an affront to the principles of discipline, leadership, and effective governance that he has consistently upheld. Councillor Zungu has led well.

04:05:29He has conducted himself with discipline, fairness, and exceptional professionalism in one of the most difficult and highly scrutinized roles in this council. In an environment characterized by volatility and multi-party tensions, the role of Chief Whip is not ceremonial. It is critical to the functioning and legitimacy of council itself. As Chief Whip, Councillor Zungu has ensured that

04:06:00political caucuses are held to account, that council sittings proceed within the framework of the rules, and that the order is restored when disruptions threaten to derail council business. He has enforced the rules without fear or favor, and he has often been a stabilizing voice when council has faced deeply polarized debates. He has done this not in isolation, but as a key figure within the GLU, a governance arrangement

04:06:30that requires maturity, negotiation, and principled coordination. His role has been instrumental in holding together a diverse political coalition that must govern collectively in the interest of the residents of Johannesburg. He has demonstrated both political sensitivity and institutional loyalty, never abusing his office for partisan gain. Under his stewardship, we have passed key

04:07:01legislation, approved budgets, disciplined members when necessary, and maintained a degree of legislative continuity and order that many have thought impossible in a coalition context. Councillor Zungu has earned the respect of his peers not because he is loud, but because he's consistent. He has understood the weight of his office and has carried it with dignity. It is easy to criticize

04:07:31from the sidelines, it is far more difficult to lead from the front and to do so with a composure and integrity he has shown. The AIC therefore reiterates our full confidence in Councillor Zungu as Chief Whip of Council. We reject this motion in its entirety and we commit ourselves to upholding institutional leadership over political gamesmanship. I thank you.

04:08:03Thank you MMC Arnolds. ANC Councillor Xuma.

04:08:11Greetings Speaker. Let me also pass my revolutionary greetings to the Executive Mayor, Councillor Dada Morero. And can I also be allowed to say all protocol observed. Madam Speaker,

04:08:28isiZuluuyabuya.

04:08:30Indeed. Madam Speaker, a call for a motion of no confidence against Councillor Nkosephayo Zungu is nothing, but a frivolous motion that is advanced by a few malcontents in this council to depict a picture that says we are unstable as a city, so that we are also impressing Madam Zille so that she comes and govern through back doors in the city. Councillor Zungu is the most consultativeemotive

04:09:00councillor as a Chief Whip of Council who ensure that there is inclusivity in council and that there is stability in the whippery and multi-political party forum, and it contributes to a stable council. We cannot then allow this motion to go through because we want to please Madam Helen Zille. Madam Speaker, the rejection of this motion of no confidence does not only it also, Madam Speaker, defendemotive

04:09:30the leader of the DA, Councillor Echeozonjoku, so that she can't be viewed as a bench warmer. But we cannot allow, as a caring movement, the ANC, to be used so that Madam Zille comes and govern the city through back doors. So we in those few words, Speaker, we reject this motion. I thank you.emotive

Proposer's reply and vote on the Whip motion

04:09:56Thank you Councillor Xuma. We'll go back to the proposer which is Councillor Sifumba.

04:10:14Thank you Speaker. Speaker, the Chief Whip's office demands the highest standards of integrity, transparency and trustworthiness. When that trust is broken, Speaker, when the confidence is betrayed, when political machinations take precedence over public service, we have no choice, but to act. But it is evident, Speaker, that the colleagues in this house disagree. Speaker, this motion is not about political point scoring,

04:10:44it is about accountability. It is about saying that in this council character matters, trust matters, and when both are compromised beyond repair, consequences must follow. Madam Speaker, the DA proposed this motion because we believe that trust once broken cannot be easily restored. The Chief Whip's actions have compromised the integrity of this of this house and undermined the effective governance.

04:11:14We would also like to encourage the parties in this house, Speaker, to thoroughly check and clean house as those who slither under the guise of having a backbone or principles that they have no clue how to even apply, they slither on all around and one day they will bite like the green mambas that they are. Speaker, we would like to encourage we would like to encourage this house to vote with their conscience and support this motion. Thank you very much.emotive

04:11:51Thank you Councillor Sifumba. Can we beat the drum?

04:12:04Whips of all the different political parties, please check your caucuses.

04:13:11Councillors, we are about to begin our voting process. All those councillors in favor of this motion, please raise your hands.

04:14:41Councillors, you can all lower your hands. All the councillors that are against this motion, please raise your hands.

04:17:56Councillors, you can all lower your hands. All those councillors that are abstaining from this voting process, please raise your hand.

04:18:31Councillors, you can lower your hands. Let's give Legal a minute or two to consolidate the results.

04:19:55Councillors, the results are as follows. All the councillors that abstained from this voting process, it's only 6. The yeses is 69. The nos is 179. Therefore, the motion does not pass.

Motion of no confidence in the Speaker: ActionSA debate and points of order

04:21:00Councillors, we are proceeding with the third motion, and that is the motion of no confidence against the

04:21:31motion against a speaker who, by every objective measure, has fulfilled her mandate and worked tirelessly. What is most frustrating is that all of this comes at an expense of the residents we were elected to serve.

04:21:53It reminds me of an old truth, that when you lie down with dogs, you will wake up with fleas. And today, Speaker, we see exactly that.

04:22:05Councillor Mokoka, there is a hand. Let's hear the order. Councillor Belinda.

04:22:16You may take a seat, Councillor Mokoka.

04:22:18Chair, it's Councillor Echeozonjoku. I want to just say, on a point of order, I don't see any dogs in this chamber. We need to have respect for each other, even in our debates. Thank you.

04:22:41Thank you, Councillor Echeozonjoku. Councillor Mokoka, you may proceed.

04:22:50Thank you, Chair of Chairs. I think this was just a phrase and nothing more.

04:22:59Councillors, I had thought that Councillor Mokoka is using a metaphor.

04:23:11So Councillor Mokoka, I am going to rule that you withdraw your metaphor.

04:23:25Eish, hey, Chair of Chairs, they said green mambas here, nobody said anything,

04:23:32but I shall withdraw for the sake of peace.

04:23:37Thank you.

04:23:41And today, Speaker, we see exactly that, that, you know?

04:23:49Parties so desperate for influence that they are willing to be used and discarded in deals they barely understand. Action SA rejects this shambolic motion in its entirety. We stand firmly behind Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu, who has carried out her duties with fairness, transparency, and who has gone far beyond the call of duty.

04:24:20Nearly every day, she has been present in our communities, ensuring that the voices of the ordinary residents are not only heard, but meaningfully brought before this council. If you want to talk about failures to fulfill one's duties, let's look at the recent IDP processes.

04:24:44It was this very speaker who spent day after day engaging residents directly, listening to their concerns, and helping shape plans to improve service delivery in this city.

04:25:02And where were the DA councillors, and sponsors of this motion, during this time?

04:25:12At home, probably sleeping, while the speaker was doing the work they should have been part of.

04:25:20So really, no credible, honest political party that genuinely

04:25:25Councillor Mokoka, there's another hand again. I apologize, you may have to sit. Councillor Da Rocha, let's hear the point of order.

04:25:34Thank you, Acting Speaker. For the record, on the day, I was sick like a dog and I was with the speaker at the IDP. So she must withdraw.

04:25:46Councillors, I had thought that Councillor Da Rocha is rising to call a point of order. Councillor Mokoka, you may proceed, please.

04:25:57So the question remains: Where was the DA?

04:26:02So really, no credible, honest political party that genuinely believes in the functionality of this legislature can, in good integrity, support this motion, unless, of course, this is not actually about the speaker's performance, but rather a convenient excuse to settle political scores, reward favors, perpetuate the tired cycle of dishonest backroom deals.

04:26:37This is a blatant abuse of process and a mockery of accountability. It is the exact kind of politics that has broken this city,

04:26:48Councillor Mokoka, wrap up.

04:26:53Okay. It is the exact kind of politics that has broken this city, scooped out of its institutional and insulted the intelligence of every resident we were elected to serve. Action SA will have no part in it. We will vote against this ridiculous motion, and we urge those who still value the integrity of this chamber to do the same. I thank you.

ACDP and ANC debate the Speaker motion

04:27:23Thank you. We now move to Councillor Mkhonza from ACDP.

04:27:35Ehe. Yes. Shalom, shalom, Acting Speaker. Am I protected?

04:27:45Councillors, let's give Councillor Mkhonza a chance. You may proceed.

04:27:51Yes. Yeah, thank you very much, Acting Speaker. Because I have already acknowledged our Almighty God, eternal existent in three persons, I'll just jump straight to the debate. Acting Speaker, I stand here to speak on the motion against the Speaker of Council, Councillor Nobuhle Mthembu. However, allow me to quote from my guiding manual, the Holy Bible, before I go to my speech.

04:28:25From the book of 1 Corinthians 13:11, it reads as follows, "When I was a child, I spoke about childish matters, for I saw things like a child and reasoned like a child. But the day came when I matured, I set aside my childish ways." Acting Chair, I'm quoting this scripture because this chamber has demonstrated childish and immature behavior.

04:29:04Acting Speaker, allow me to focus on these two words: childish and immature. And I will also add servant and ethical leadership as a solution. Maturity is a journey of growth and transformation. The Oxford dictionary says, "It is a state of being developed and also the quality of thinking and behaving in a sensible and adult manner."

04:29:34Acting Speaker, we are tortured here by a motion, a GLU member against a fellow GLU member, against one of their own. This is a waste of time, and this is a childish exercise. This does not do justice to the low level of trust on public institutions and politicians in general. As the ACDP, we call for servant and ethical leadership from all the caucuses.

04:30:05to the then mayor of the DA, now the president of the DA-lite, Action SA spaza shops, Herman Mashaba. Now let me go on with the debate.

04:30:25Like I said that I was aspiring to be a historian, in our own customs, when we studied in archeology and everything, it tells us that, and our basic way of living,

04:30:38Councillor Mmbengwa.

04:30:39I'm coming there.

04:30:41Councillor Mmbengwa, there is a hand that's calling You know, I had thought

04:30:47Ah, these people, they are wasting my time, mos.

04:30:49No, no, no, the time will be paused, Councillor Mmbengwa. We had stopped the time. I You know, when the proceedings of this council were going or flowing, I had thought that we will all act in the interest of time, and I deliberately not asked councillors who were calling point of orders to ask them on what point or what rule are you rising on, deliberately.

04:31:18So and I am realizing that that is actually working against the order of council. So a councillor that is calling a point of order, when you rise, point which rule you're rising on, and let it be a point of order. Councillor Mposula, which rule are you rising on?

04:31:42Councillor Mposula, Acting Speaker. I'm rising on rule 72. We would like the councillor to withdraw the remarks that he has done, because he has not yet withdrawn, and he must stop referring to Action SA as DA-lite. We are Action SA. Thank you so much.

04:32:04Thank you very much, Councillor Mposula. Councillor Mmbengwa, I think you are the second last speaker to the item. Kindly, please, let's debate the motion and refrain from things that will make this council disorderly.

04:32:26Okay, cool. I'm not going to I'll try to be that, but there is a fact. Now, okay, on the issue that you raise, Mfundisi Mposula, it is alleged, and if you feel offended, I withdraw. I said I withdraw.

04:32:45Councillor Mmbengwa, you will now have to withdraw the allegations.

04:32:51I'm withdrawing the allegations.

04:32:53Councillor Mmbengwa, let us be orderly, man. Just withdraw so that we move.

04:33:03Withdrawn. Are you happy? Okay, in the interest of the people that are living with diabetes Ah, you see? Can you make your house in order? In the interest of the people that are living with conditions of diabetic that needs food, I will try to be very brief so that people, they don't faint. Now here is simple what we're putting in. Here is simple things that we're saying. When the Action SA joined the GNU, they were coming into this family as a makoti that will stabilize the family of GNU, GLU. Unfortunately,

04:33:48isiZuluin Zulu, bafanana nalomfazi wamaphepha ozobuya ayenze izinto zakhe ezichitha umuzi lo esifuna ukuwakha.

04:33:59So now, in that, we have realized that we must take back this woman back to

04:34:07isiZuluabazali bakhe ngoba akanamendo.

04:34:12Now, without wasting time, there is a note that we have noted that the very speaker on her own personal I know that some of the councillors have been saying that she was We cannot deal with her character and conduct, but she was on social media against the decision that was taken by the GLU on the secretariat. I don't want to dwell much on that one. Those that want to read, it's published on the newspapers, you can go through that. Now, without wasting time, we are simply saying, and in the biblical quotation that I put, the sins of your fathers are costing you. And it's here now. As African National Congress,

04:35:03isiZululomfazi siyamxosha, uyahamba.

04:35:08So Action SA, you have shown that you don't respect the rules of GLU. In many times, you have failed us in budget.

04:35:18SesothoHa e tsamayang.

04:35:20isiZuluAyihhushe.

04:35:24Thank you, Councillor

04:35:30We are supporting the removal.

Closing of debate and vote on the motion against the Speaker

04:35:32Thank you, Councillor Mmbengwa. I now call upon Councillor Gwamanda to close the debate.

04:35:49No, thank you very much, Acting Speaker of Council. Acting Speaker of Council, on behalf of the Government of Local Unity, my job has been to one end, and that end is to table a vote of no confidence against the speaker, Councillor Nobuhle. It is unfortunate that her party will experience a second accidental office bearer,

04:36:22but it cannot be accorded to this particular collective. So I would like for council to register their hand to support the motion that has been tabled against Councillor Nobuhle Mthembu. Thank you very much, Speaker.

04:36:40Thank you, Councillor Gwamanda. We will now go into a vote, but before that happens, I would want to ask that we ring the bell and make sure that all councillors that are outside comes in just before we proceed with the voting.

04:38:38Thank you very much, Councillors, and I hope that all whips of political parties have made sure that their councillors are in the chamber. I would now ask for those who are voting in favor of the motion to raise their hands.

04:39:06Legal, continue to count.

04:39:19Those who are in the gallery, refrain from taking videos.

04:39:30Those who are in the gallery. Thank you. I hope they have heard what I had said. Legal, please assist in counting. Thank you.

04:39:49isiZuluUNobuhle wezwa, bafowethu.

04:42:16Thank you very much. You may lower your hands. Those who are against the motion, may you raise your hand?

04:44:35Thank you very much. You may lower your hands. I want to check those who are abstaining from voting. You may raise your hand.

04:44:52Let's give Legal some few minutes to consolidate so that we can announce the results. Just 5 minutes.

04:46:00Councillors, thank you very much for your cooperation. Now I give you the results in accordance to how you voted. Those that are supporting that the speaker must go are 212, and those who are against the motion are 48.

04:46:32Unfortunately, there is no one abstaining, meaning those who are abstaining is zero. Thank you very much, and it means the motion is carried.

Speaker's seat vacant; meeting cannot proceed

04:46:50So Councillors, I am sure, Councillor Raphadu, I am sure we all know that now the position of the speaker is vacant. So the city now does not have the speaker. And in accordance to the rules and the legislations, we cannot proceed

04:47:18with this meeting. What it means is that the city manager, in due course, will then call And I understand that after tomorrow, we are supposed to go on recess, but I want to understand that the acting CM is here, and he is aware of the proceedings. He will do the necessary. Councillors, if you are

04:47:53anytime, any day, kindly adhere to the notice so that the governance in the City of Johannesburg. With those words, Councillors, I thank you for the opportunity to allow me to preside over this item.

04:48:21Oh, just before, there is a hand there. Before we leave, Councillors, just before. Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba.

04:48:38Just before we leave, I think it wish the Democratic Alliance 25th birthday. As we heard yesterday,

04:48:54The food out there must not go and spoil. Can we grab a bite there, something to eat? I saw some of you were sleeping, so you are hungry, I agree. Go and eat.