Transcript: 46th Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting

Sound checks before the sitting

00:03:55Testing one, two. Testing one, two. Testing one, two. One, two, one, two. Testing one, two.

00:04:13Testing one, two. One, two, one, two. Testing one, two. One, two, one, two. Testing one, two. One, two, one, two. Testing

00:07:22Testing one, two. One, two, one, two.

Opening, moment of silence and notice of meeting

00:08:59Good morning councillors.

00:09:04Good morning councillors. Ladies and gentlemen in the gallery, will you all please rise for the Speaker of Council, Councillor Margaret Arnolds.

00:09:31Good morning councillors, can we remain standing for a moment of silence or meditation?

00:09:51Thank you so much, you may be seated.

00:10:16Good morning, councillors. It is hereby notified that the 46th extraordinary council meeting of the City of Johannesburg Municipality will be held on Thursday, the 12th of March 2006 at 10:00 a.m. at the Constance Connie Bapela Council Chamber in Braamfontein. And the first item on the agenda is opening.

Welcome address and Ward 102 by-election congratulations

00:10:40Good morning once again councillors, to the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg in absentia, Councillor Sello Dada Morero. To the Whip of Council, Councillor Kazamula Chauke in absentia. To the Deputy Executive Mayor, Councillor Masuku. To the Chair of Chairs, Councillor Vuhani Marema. All political parties

00:11:09leaders and Whips. Members of the Mayoral Committee, Chairpersons of Section 79 committees, fellow councillors, City Manager Mr. Floyd Brink, Secretary to Council Mr. Andile Gobinca, officials of the City of Johannesburg, residents of the City of Johannesburg. Members of the media, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the 46th ordinary Council meeting of the City of Johannesburg.

00:11:39Councillors, please join me in congratulating the Democratic Alliance for winning the Ward 102 by-elections. Can we also say welcome to Councillor Obakeng Kamela, the newly elected Ward Councillor of Ward 102. Thank you so much. At this point councillors

00:12:20No, no, no colleagues. I said for winning Ward 102 by-elections. And also welcome to Councillor Obakeng Kamela, the newly elected Councillor.

Quorum count and register

00:12:42Apologies colleagues. Apologies, apologies Councillor, but you can go to Ward 102 and be the councillor. Councillors at this point, uh I will allow for 10 minutes for the number of councillors present in the chamber to be counted and verifications of the number of councillors who have signed the register, so as to confirm our quorum. So can I ask

00:13:13and I'm pleading and I'm asking that all councillors be seated so that we can count you so that we have an understanding whether we quorate or not. And if you are outside, we are not going to count you, which means we are watching you and you are not going to be able to do voting. Yes, uh Yes, Councillor Belinda.

00:13:45Madam Speaker, I'm not a chairperson, but thank you.

00:13:48Ah, I know, it's okay. You are the chairperson of your caucus.

00:13:51Can I just ask you Madam Speaker, we've now fixed this uh system. Will the new system allow us to also then log in as councillors when we come in and count it as a register? It's a question. Thanks. I think it will be more efficient if we go that route.

00:14:11It will do that, but not for now because we are still asking you and we have asked your caucus chairpersons and your whips when are we able to meet with you, and they are not responding to us. Until they respond, until they respond, we would be able to do that. Councillor Smit, we have asked that caucuses indicate to us when are they ready.

00:14:41We have asked that question. Let's not debate it. We have asked the question, and we want you to tell us when you are ready. For now, the 10 minutes is starting on counting of councillors. Councillor Christians, I have ended everything. I'm counting people, yes? Okay, come on.

00:15:01AfrikaansJy kan nie staan nie, so sit maar vir my.

00:15:04Thank you, Chair. Chair, thank you very much for fixing the chair, but they fixed the wrong chair. They fixed Councillor Niemand's chair. My chair is still broken. Thank you.

00:15:14They fixed it because there's Niemand sitting on that chair. So we'll fix your chair. Councillors, can we start the counting? Thank you.

00:15:28AfrikaansNiemand is tussen ek en jy, nê?

00:20:35Okay, can we get back to our seats, can we be seated?

00:20:42Shh. Nolita.

00:20:48Colleagues, we are 156 of us has signed the register, but 147 is inside the chamber. So please ensure that whoever has signed must be in the chamber as well. So it's upon the whips to ensure that everybody is inside. We are going to carry on with our agenda.

00:21:18I thank you. STC?

Applications for leave of absence

00:21:22And we now proceed uh with applications for leave of absence.

00:21:33Colleagues, the application of leave that we have received, we have Councillor J. Rahn on private business. Councillor G. Ramaru on private business. Councillor F. De Lange, private business. Councillor S. Rambani, to arrive late. Councillor N. Mohamed, an early departure, we just don't know what time is early departure.

00:22:04Councillor Z. Shawe, early departure at 14:00 hour. It's S-H-A-W-E. Councillor A. Christians, early departure at 17:30. Councillor F. Chame, early departure 17:30. Councillor R. Landis, early departure at um 17:30. Can we Are there any other further apologies?

00:22:37Can I see by show of hands? I'll go with Councillor Smit and then um Councillor Someone is sitting on Councillor Manganyi's Oh yeah, it is yourself. And then the next one would be Councillor from Councillor Ntombela.

00:23:05And then Councillor uh Mogapi, and then Councillor uh Mhlongo, and then Councillor um Chair of Transport, and then Councillor um Simonse, in that fashion. I have noted you, Councillor Ntombela.

00:23:34Oh, right at the back, Councillor Harris. Apologies. And right at the back, there's one I'm not sure who the Councillor is. Is it Councillor Karolia? Oh, Councillor Nair. Thank you, Councillor Nair. Okay, in that fashion.

00:24:07Good morning, colleagues. Good morning, Speaker. I've just got two to add. I have Councillor Mnisi and Councillor Roberts with ill health, and I'm not sure uh if uh you got Councillor Mohamed who will arrive late uh on council business. Thank you.

00:24:22Yes, I do.

00:24:24Thank you, Councillor Smit. Next Councillor.

00:24:36Councillor Ntombela, can you go?

00:24:42Speaker, good morning. Sorry, Councillor Ntombela's got a bit of laryngitis. She was out partying last night. Um Speaker, we've got quite a few councillors that are late this morning due to uh the honourable Dereleen James creating roadblocks with the SANDF on Ontdekkers Road, but they'll be here shortly. Um Ramaru, Councillor Ramaru is party business. Councillor Zwane, party business. Councillor Munyayi, party business.claim

00:25:13Um Bolani, Ntlemeza, party business and Mkhonto, party business. And then uh Moatshe and the rest of the councillors running slightly late. Speaker, thank you very much.

00:25:25She should not be stopping the SANDF to do their work. Councillor Mogapi.

00:25:32Thank you, Speaker. Greetings councillors. From the EFF side, it's Councillor Ngwenya, ill health.

00:25:38Thank you, Councillor.

00:25:42Uh thank you very much. Good morning, Speaker and other councillors. Um Councillor Mokome due to party uh business. Councillor Nkokou, ill health, uh and Councillor Zigebe will arrive late. Thank you.

00:25:55Thank you so much, Councillor.

00:26:00Uh thank you, Madam Speaker. Uh good morning, councillors. Uh on the ANC side, we have the Executive Mayor, MMC Mgcina. Oh, thank you. He has arrived. MMC Mgcina, uh Councillor Simelane, Councillor Nhlapo, Councillor Mzolo, Councillor uh Khomongoe, they are arriving late. Uh Councillor Nkubungu, Councillor Madiba, Councillor Tambani, they will be late due to a protest in their wards. And Councillor Marema is requesting to leave at 17:00 hoursclaim

00:26:32if we will not be done by that time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

00:26:36Thank you, Chair. Councillor Simonse.

00:26:40Good morning, Madam Speaker and fellow colleagues. Um MMC Kunene, uh council business, leave of absence. Councillor Juweida is running a bit late, and also early departure for Councillor Juweida at 17:00 hours if we have not done. Thank you.

00:26:55Thank you. Councillor Nair. Oh, Councillor Manganyi.

00:27:02TshivendaNdi matsheloni,

00:27:03Speaker. I have two apologies from the minority caucus. Uh Councillor Magwentshu will uh be here by 11:00. Um he is coming from the doctor, and Councillor Gwamanda is held up on family business. Thank you.

00:27:18Thank you, Councillor Mangena. Um Councillor Nair.

00:27:22Greetings, Speaker. If we are not done at 5:00, I would also request to leave at 5:30. Thank you.

00:27:29Thank you so much. Are the apologies noted? Oh, Councillor Harris.

00:27:36AfrikaansJammer, man. Dankie.

00:27:39No, it's fine. I accept rejection, Madam. Um Madam Speaker, good morning. Please accept apologies on behalf of Councillor Mkhonza, who's away on party business, and I'm requesting an early departure at 13:00 hours, please.

00:27:55Thank you, Councillor Harris. You are not being rejected. Apologies. Are all the apologies noted?

00:28:03Noted.

00:28:04Thank you so much. Let's move on.

Recommendations to council introduced

00:28:09We now proceed with the third item, and those are recommendations to council.

00:28:15Executive Mayor. Recommendations to council.

00:28:25Morning, Speaker. I hereby stand to present the recommendations for council consideration and approval. Thank you.

Caucus break requests and adjournment

00:28:35Thank you so much, Executive Mayor. Councillor Ntombela.

00:28:46Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good morning, colleagues. Uh ActionSA is asking for caucus break, 30 minutes. Thank you.

00:28:59No, no, no. Who's that? Councillor Coutriers,

00:29:06Afrikaansasseblief, praat tog met jou

00:29:07councillors, please. 30-minute break is granted. Councillor Councillor um Avant-Smith, and then Councillor Mogapi.

00:29:25Thank uh thank you, Speaker. We also requesting a 30-minute, but we'll take it at the same time. Thank you.

00:29:31Councillor Mogapi.

00:29:32Thank you.

00:29:34Thank you, Speaker. We are also requesting for 1 hour, 30 minutes.

00:29:39Councillors, I've heard that. Councillors, can I bring something to our attention? And I think it's crucial that I say this. We have not catered for lunch. We have not catered for anything today. You are going to have tea and those sandwiches that's there.

00:30:00So if we are going to have long caucus breaks and we are going to be here the whole day, please understand that we will be we will have to get our own lunches. Okay, thank you colleagues. I am granting the EFF has asked for 1 hour 30 minutes, I'm going to give it an hour because I'm taking the 30 minutes and the 30 minutes and plussing it so we give 1 hour.

00:30:34Are you fine Councillor Mogapi? Thank you so much. We coming back at 11:20. It's at least it's 19 minutes past 11 sharp. Thank you. Thank you colleagues.

Caucuses report back

01:39:56Thank you so much. Can we have those that has asked for caucuses to report back to us?

01:40:08Speaker, thank you. Uh Action SA is fine, we are aligned.

01:40:25Councillor Mogapi, Councillor Avant-Smith, Councillor Ntombela uh from Action SA, can we hear, can you report back to us? In that fashion, Smith, Mogapi, Ntombela.

01:40:47Thank you, Speaker. The Democratic Alliance is prepared to carry on. Thank you.

01:40:55Councillor Mogapi, not here. Councillor Ntombela.

01:41:03Madam Speaker, thank you. Action SA is good to go. Thank you.

Speaker pauses proceedings to consult legal

01:41:05Okay. Um colleagues, I just need a 2-minute, but let us be seated. Something has cropped up. So, I just need to consult with legal, but can we be seated? Uh it will not take long. Something important has cropped up, and I will tell you when we are done.

01:41:34Yeah, you can sing, but don't move out.

01:50:09Can I ask that everybody that sits at the table come and sit at your places? Legal, STC.

30-minute adjournment for legal issue and heckling over food

01:50:29Colleagues, I don't want to waste your time and my time as well. I am going to ask because this thing cannot be solved in 5 minutes. Can I have attention of councillors, please? Whatever we are dealing with cannot be solved in 5 minutes. So, it might be abnormal,

01:50:56but the Speaker of Council is asking for a 30-minute break with with the legal cuz I need to deal with it. So, I'm having a 30-minute break. I have to deal with the issue. Otherwise, tomorrow you take me to court. I thank you. We'll come back at 13:10. Thank you. Oh, 12:10. Sorry. Sorry. 12:10.

01:51:21Granted, Speaker.

01:51:23Apologies, colleagues. Councillor Smit. Councillor Avant-Smith, can I see you, please?

01:51:33You are threatening us about food. Are you preparing food now? Hey, Speaker,

01:51:41Sesothoakere

01:51:42you are threatening us about food.

01:51:44She's running away.

01:52:05Speaker, your request is granted.

01:52:11SesothoMara,

01:52:12he must she must prepare food.

01:52:14SesothoAkere,

01:52:15now she's taking longer.

01:52:17And please report back.

01:52:18Must prepare food.

Speaker resumes the sitting after the bell

02:47:40Colleagues, the bell has stopped ringing. I think I am slightly late and I do apologize. I do... No, no, no. I say this with not asking for any comments. Colleagues, apologies. I'm also human. I can also make mistakes. So I am not... I, I, I, I'm late. But the issue has been solved. And, um, we can continue with, uh, our council.

02:48:15Akere, you guys come back and you tell me, "You are sharp." So I'm also coming back and saying the legislature is fine. Thank you so much.

Item 3 (Item 1): Operating adjustment budget 2025/26 – Cllr Cook (GOOD)

02:48:32Uh, councillors, we are on item three and those are recommendations, uh, to council starting off with the first item and that is the operating adjustment budget for the 2025/2026 financial year.

02:48:49Thank you, councillors, and according to the speakers' list, the first speaker is Councillor M. Cook from GOOD. Councillor Cook?

02:49:03Thank you, Madam Speaker. Speaker, the adjustment operating budget before council today raises several serious concerns about the financial direction of the City of Johannesburg. But before I address the numbers, Speaker, I want to raise a matter of process. The Section 79 Finance Committee, which I am the chairperson of, met earlier this week. Yet, this adjustment budget was not presented to the committee.claim

02:49:33Despite already have been submitted to the mayoral committee. That raises an important question. What is the role of the finance committee if key financial decisions are moving forward without proper oversight engagement? Committees exist to strengthen governance and ensure that council is fully informed before major decisions are taken. Speaker, if we turn to the substance of the report, the adjustment budget shows employee-related costs increasing by R1.35 billion, while spending on contracted services is being reduced by more than 1 billion. Those contracted services are not abstract numbers, Speaker. They represent maintenance, repairs, and the practical work required to keep this city functioning. The report itself admits that operational funds are being shifted away from service delivery and towards employee costs.claim

02:50:30That could... That should actually concern every single councillor in this chamber. The report also increases the city's debt impairment provision by over R1.1 billion. In simple terms, this means that the city now expects significantly more revenue to go uncollected. That points to deep and ongoing problems in our revenue management and billing systems. Speaker,claim

02:50:57the city's operating surplus has declined by almost 1 billion in this adjustment. Even more concerning is the warning contained in the report that the city may struggle to pay its creditors on time. Finally, the report does not yet incorporate the R979 million reduction in the city's equitable share allocation from National Treasury. When that is accounted for, the city's financial position will become even more constrained. Speaker, Johannesburg residents are already experiencing deteriorating infrastructure, unreliable services, and slow repairs. And as councillors, we must ask a fundamental question. Are we prioritizing spending in a way that protects service delivery and the long-term financial stability of the city? Financial sustainability requires transparency, disciplined budgeting, and strong oversight. Council must ensure that the city's financesclaim

02:51:57are managed in a way that protects services and builds confidence amongst residents and the businesses. I thank you.

Debate: PA (Cllr Steenkamp) on service delivery and the budget

02:52:04Thank you, Councillor Cook. Councillor Steenkamp from the Patriotic Alliance.

02:52:15Executive Mayor, Chief Whip of Council, PA Joburg 11 councillors under the capable leadership of our caucus leader MMC Kenny Kunene, fellow councillors, and most importantly, the residents of the City of Joburg. I rise to speak on Item 1. When we debate group finance in the City of Joburg, we cannot hide behind the technical financial language. Because outside this chamber, in the communities like Soweto, Eldorado Park, Dobsonville, Diepkloof, Orlando, Pennyville, and Noordgesig, budgets are not just numbers on paper. They are promises made to real people. And in these communities, those promises remain unfulfilled. The residents do not experience financial governance

02:53:03through audit reports. They experience it through flooded streets, failing infrastructure, and slow responses to service delivery complaints. Why do communities continue to struggle while billions pass through the books of the city? Speaker, residents in our communities are not economists,

02:53:21but they understand one thing very clearly: When money is spent correctly, services improve. When money is mismanaged, communities suffer, and that is the reality. In these areas, the residents see projects delayed. They see infrastructure not maintained. They see problems reported again and again without proper resolution. Madam Speaker, the city is in a crisis, and the mayor in this city uses the power and his position to mislead residents in making them understand that it's a... that it's a mayoral... it's a mayor endorses budgets in this city. The mayor needs to be reminded that we're in a government of local unity, and this city is governed by all sitting in this chamber today. We're in a mess because political grandstanding is, uh, uh, grandstanding, but this budget is not a mayoral budget.

02:54:13But it's a budget of the people and for the people. Madam Speaker, let me continue by saying when money is spent correctly and budgets are allocated correctly, the service delivery department's services improves. When money is mismanaged, communities suffer. Madam Speaker, financial governance must start meaning something on the ground. It must become the engine that endures... that ensures every department delivers services where they are needed the most, not just in Sandton or the leafy areas,

02:54:45but in all the areas like Orlando, Dobsonville, Noordgesig, Kliptown, and Klipspruit. Johannesburg is the economic hub of this country, but the strength of the city will not be measured on balance sheets, but on timeous service delivery. Madam Speaker, the residents...

02:55:0110 seconds.

02:55:05Madam Speaker, the residents of the whole city are not asking for miracles. They are simply asking that money allocated to their, uh, communities actually reaches them.

02:55:152 seconds.

02:55:16And not politically diverted for political grandstanding.

Debate: ACDP (Cllr Harris) on the PFA and affordability

02:55:25Councillor Harris, ACDP.

02:55:32Greetings once again, Madam Speaker, Mayor, MMCs, chairpersons, residents, councillors. The politically... Political Facilitated Agreement was signed in 2016. In 2024, the Organizational Development Directorate was commissioned to conduct an analysis of the implementation of the PFA. Among the findings were, and I quote: "Key factors influencing labor stability within the city include industrial actions driven by wage disputes, working conditions, and provision of benefits. However, these can be avoided if the formal communication structures created by the bargaining council are functional. Relating to salary progression principles, affordability and sustainability, task salary key scales shall be subject to the affordabil... affordableclaim

02:56:26in terms of the COJ and entities' available budget in the short and medium term. Sustainability will take into account the totality of the socio-economic factors that affect the COJ, entities, and its stakeholders." Employee-related costs increases by R1.354 billion in this report. Is this affordable? Is it sustainable when reduced maintenance budgets were increasing and the Human Settlements Department maintenance budget is increased by a mere R2.5 million? How effective is the bargaining council if after 10 years, the city is in turmoil about the PFA? Bulk purchases of water are not listed in this report. I would... It would be good to see how much of this is generated by the sale of water and by the additional surcharges and taxes demanded by the city. What percentage of this revenue is allocated to upgrading the crumbling infrastructure? Madam Speaker, in the interest of continuity and service delivery, the ACDP notes and supports this item. I thank you.claim

Debate: FF+ (Cllr Boer) on unauthorised expenditure

02:57:35Thank you, Councillor Harris. The next speaker, Raadslid Bull, Vryheidsfront Plus.

02:57:45AfrikaansGoeie môre, Mevrou die Speaker. Um,

02:57:47morning, fellow councillors. I rise on Item 1, the adjustment budget on the OPEX expenditure. Madam Speaker, let us first see why do we have an adjustment budget. The purpose of an adjustment budget is to bring our original budget in line with the actual financial situation in the city so that when we are over or under budget, that we can rectify it in the adjustment budget so that those expenses won't go down as unauthorized expenditure. And let us see what the MFMA says about unauthorized expenditure. In relation to a municipality, it means any expenditure incurred otherwise than in accordance with Section 15 or 11, and includes overspending of the local... of the total amount appropriated in a municipality's approved budget, and overspending

02:58:45of the total amount appropriated for an... for any vote in the approved budget. So that is what unauthorized expenditure is. And then, uh, Section 35 says: "Municipal adjustment budgets. A municipal... municipality may revise an approved budget, um, in an adjustment budget. An adjustment budget must adjust the revenue and expenditure estimates downwards if there is a material under-collection of revenue during the current year." And then in Section 35 it says, that one was Section 28: "A municipality must recover unauthorized, irregular, or fruitless expenditure unless the expenditure, in the case of unauthorized expenditure, is authorized in an adjustment budget." So that is the purpose, to authorize the budget that we've overspent in an adjustment budget. Madam Speaker, our city for the past six months, past six months, overspent on salaries, 1.2 billion. Overspent on bulk purchases for electricity, 640 million. Overspent inventory, that is water, 330...

03:00:00million and overspend on interest 252 million. Those are the four biggest items. None of those items are addressed in the adjustment budget except the adjustment for salaries by only 1.1 billion while we already overspend in six months' time by 1.2 billion. PFA is not going to appear in the next six months. So we are going to overspend by 2.4 billion on salaries. We're going to overspend by 500 million on interest.

03:00:30And in the adjustment budget there was an adjustment for only 1 million for interest. So Madam Speaker, this adjustment budget does not serve the purpose for which it is intended to. We can take out unauthorized expenditure in our financial statements by just doing a proper adjustment budget to regularize those expenditures and we're not addressing this. So the Freedom Front will not support this adjustment budget and as this Council approved two weeks ago,

03:01:00AfrikaansRaadslid Boer, jou tyd is op.

03:01:03AfrikaansMaar jy gee nie eers 'n waarskuwing nie, Speaker. Gee my nog 20 sekondes.

03:01:06AfrikaansJammer.

Debate: AIC supports the adjustment budget

03:01:16Councillor T. Mchunu from the AIC.

03:01:22Thank you very much.

03:01:23Colleagues, note that we have three minutes and if it's three minutes, please.

03:01:30Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Greetings to yourself, greetings to the Executive Mayor, Councillor Dada Morero, the Deputy Executive Mayor, Councillor Loyiso Masuku, all members of the MMCs, all the Chairpersons of the Section 79 Committees, fellow Councillors and our guests in the gallery. Madam Speaker, I rise as the African Independent Congress in support of the report on the operating adjustment budget for the 2025/2026 financial year

03:02:01in the City of Johannesburg. Adjustment budgets are not simply technical exercises in balancing numbers. They are an important mechanism that allows municipalities to respond to the realities faced by residents during the financial year. Through this process, Madam Speaker, we are able to realign resources, address unforeseen pressures, and ensure that service delivery commitments remain on track. For the African Independent Congress, the central question when

03:02:30considering any budget is simple, does this improve the lives of residents, particularly the most vulnerable? The adjustment budget demonstrates the City's commitment to maintaining service delivery while responding to operational pressures. The realities facing our municipalities, rising service delivery infrastructure maintenance needs, and economic pressures affecting communities require responsible financial adjustment during the year.

03:03:00Speaker, the City of Johannesburg is a metropolitan municipality that serves millions of residents across diverse communities. Managing a city of this scale requires careful financial stewardship. Adjustment budgets allow the administration to correct variances, direct funds where they are most needed, and ensure that critical services such as electricity, water, waste removal, road maintenance, and community service continue without disruption. The African Independent Congress supports measures that strengthen

03:03:30municipal financial management and ensure that public resources are used responsibly when adjustments are made to ensure operational stability, improve spending efficiency, and address service delivery backlogs. Such measures deserve the support of this Council. However, Speaker, support for the adjustment budget must also be accompanied by a continued commitment to accountability. Every rand allocated in this budget belongs to the residents of Johannesburg. It is therefore essential

03:04:00that departments ensure that funds are spent efficiently, transparently, and in the manner that produces real improvements in service delivery. The African Independent Congress therefore calls on the administration to ensure that implementation of this adjustment budget prioritizes maintaining reliable service delivery to communities, strengthening financial discipline across departments, across infrastructure. Our residents expect a municipality that works. They expect streets that are maintained, refuse that

Debate: Al Jama-ah absent; ActionSA (Cllr Nkonyeni) rejects the budget

03:04:34Thank you, Councillor. The next speaker is Councillor K. Gwamanda from Al Jama-ah. Councillor Gwamanda not here. So we're passing Al Jama-ah. Thank you. Councillor S. Nkonyeni from ActionSA. Is he here? Oh, there you are. Thank you, Councillor.

03:05:05Thank you, Speaker. Greetings to the House. Greetings to the visitors in the gallery, the residents most importantly. All protocol observed. Speaker, when it comes to budgets, ActionSA is very clear, and we've been very clear on this particular issue, and we will still maintain that we've got three priorities. Now, while they may not necessarily be eligible to be looked at in this current

03:05:37budget, the adjustment phase, we will still reiterate them. We do need the Inner City Rejuvenation to take place. We know that an amount of R20 million has been allocated to Inner City Rejuvenation in the current budget. That is maintained is the issue of the surcharge, and we will continue to do so, and we will reject every single budget as a result, up until this is actually rescinded,claim

03:06:08because it is a very careless practice that takes money away from the residents instead of providing them with essential services. The other thing that we have always pressed, and we will continue to press, is the issue of insourcing. We should be less reliant on contracted services because these are actually costing the city. Now, Madam Speaker, we are where we are today because of the poor revenue collection, and I have stood here time and time again, ActionSA has stood here time and time again,

03:06:41saying that we need to improve the revenue collection. We are here today because the city has once again failed to meet its collection targets. We need to fix the billing system. Money has been allocated, funds have been allocated towards the billing system, and yet it is still broken, and we cannot allow that to continue as ActionSA. Therefore, we cannot support a careless budget. The other thing that we have always pushed for was for us to start the process of the institutional reviews. The multiple MOEs that we now have

03:07:11and the board of directors that can take unilateral decisions and not even account to Council. We need to review some of these municipal-owned entities. Either they will need to be dissolved or they need to be absorbed into their parental departments, because they also increase the wage bill. And we have a situation whereby we have executives, executives for the most part, who would earn 10 times, 20 times more than your average worker in the city,

03:07:42and yet we understand that the bulk of the human resource is actually within the workers themselves. So there's no way that we can actually justify this bloated staff that we have and exorbitant salaries that we see executives getting. Madam Speaker, we need to move away from the reliance on loan funding and grants. And I know that the GCFO will say that the cash, the loans, and the grants, they form part of the funding model,

03:08:13but it is a reckless funding model at this particular point. It is putting us in debt, and it is making us more reliant on grants, and some of the grants that we don't even get because we are not compliant. A perfect example is Phase 1C of Rea Vaya. So, Madam Speaker, ActionSA rejected the careless mid-term 25/26 budget, and there is no way that we are going to pass an adjustment that actually proved us right in the first place, and it actually strengthens our argument and our stance. We rejected

03:08:44the mid-term budget because of how reckless it was. And today, the service delivery in the city has collapsed because of the careless GLU. I don't know how many times Pikitup has gone on strike. We still have cash flow problems. We still have problems in terms of paying our contractors within 30 days. So there's absolutely no way that we are going to support a careless budget and a careless adjustment. Thank you.

Debate: DA (Cllr Santana) rejects the adjustment budget

03:09:15Thank you, Councillor. Next Councillor, Councillor Santana from the DA.

03:09:26Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to speak on Item 1, the operating adjustment budget for the 25/26 financial year. This adjustment budget is not merely a technical exercise. It reflects a series of political and financial choices with real consequences of the city's long-term sustainability and for the residents who ultimately bear the cost of poor decisions. On paper, the city remains nominally affordable. Adjusted operating revenue excluding capital transfers is 84.8 billion,claim

03:09:58while adjusted operating expenditure stands at 81.6 billion. This produces an operating surplus before capital transfers of approximately 3.2 billion, or around 3.8% of revenue. Let's be honest, a margin of under 4% is not a comfortable zone, it's a razor-thin buffer. With operating expenditure consuming almost 96% of operating revenue, the city has virtually no fiscal freedom. Any material revenue shortfallclaim

03:10:29or expenditure shock will immediately erode this surplus and place the city under severe pressure. Speaker, it is therefore necessary to interrogate what is driving expenditure growth. Employee costs have increased by 1.35 billion, bringing the total wage bill to approximately R23 billion, nearly 27% of the operating revenue. This increase is driven largely by the Politically Facilitated Agreement, or the PFA. This was not a productivity-linked reform.claim

03:10:59It was not supported by structural efficiency gains. It was a politically facilitated settlement that has permanently elevated the city's cost base. From the Democratic's perspective, this represents a serious failure of financial discipline. Council has not been provided with full signed agreements reflecting the approval of the 10 billion commitment associated with the PFA, including clarity on who authorized it and when it was concluded.claim

03:11:30Instead, Council has only been presented with a report in the 2024 financial year, Item 95, which has not included the actual agreement nor any accompanying feasibility studies. The lack of transparency is unacceptable. Even more concerning, the administration has failed to demonstrate to Council the source of funding for this commitment, particularly at a time when residents are repeatedly told that there are no funds available to address critical service delivery failures. No credibleclaim

03:12:03funding plan has been presented, and no clarity has been provided on which service delivery programs have been reprioritized or reduced to accommodate the PFA, or what the direct impact on residents will be. Speaker, the city has also failed to present feasibility studies confirming that the implementation of this agreement is financially and operationally viable, especially in the context of an infrastructure backlog estimated at approximately 300 billion. Proceeding with such a commitmentclaim

03:12:34without this analysis exposes the city to severe financial and governance risks. The debt impairment has also increased by 1.06 billion and now stands at 9.13 billion, exceeding 10% of the operating revenue. This reflects an uncomfortable reality: the city is budgeting for failure in revenue collection rather than decisively fixing billing and enforcement. Bulk electricity purchases remain at 17.6 billion, more than 20% of the revenue.claim

03:13:05This is largely a fixed cost in the short term and significantly reduces financial flexibility, particularly in an environment of persistent under-collection. While there's been a reduction in contracted services of over R1 billion and minor reductions in inventory consumption and depreciation, these adjustments do not address the structural pressures embedded in this budget. Speaker, on the revenue side, the picture is equally concerning. Total operating revenue has increased by only

03:13:3528 million. In the context of an 84 billion budget, this is effectively flat. Waste management services charges have increased slightly, while other revenue streams have declined. Transfers have increased marginally due to grant reallocations. This is not revenue reform; it's an incremental movement in a system that requires decisive intervention. The most serious concern remains under-collection, particularly within the city's municipal entities. The adjustment budget reflects a downward revenue revision of

03:14:07767 million for City Power, 575 million for Joburg Water, and 98 million for Pikitup, in line with poor mid-year collection performance. Speaker, liquidity pressures further compound these risks. Service delivery receipts have been revised downwards, total liabilities have increased by 5.15 billion to R51.9 billion, and the long-term portion of trade payables has risen by 1.6 billion, and net assets have declined by 3.25 billion.

03:14:40An accounting surplus, sorry, an accounting surplus does not equate to cash in the bank. Eskom, contractors, suppliers cannot be paid with accounting entries. Year-to-date over-expenditure of approximately 3.9 billion across employee costs, bulk electricity, inventory, and debt impairment highlights significant execution risks. Speaker, the risks associated with adopting this adjustment budget are particularly acknowledged by the administration itself, noted in sections 1.20

03:15:12and 1.21 of the report. This further underscores the seriousness of the concerns raised by the Democratic Alliance. From our perspective, this is a predictable outcome of governance that is reactive rather than disciplined. A sustainable city requires wage agreements that are affordable and productivity-aligned, transparent disclosure of all material financial commitments, rigorous feasibility analysis before permanent cost increases are adopted, strict containment

03:15:44of operating expenditure, and ruthless protection of revenue base through accurate billing and lawful, effective collections. Proceeding with this implementation of the Politically Facilitated Agreement under the current circumstances risks severely destabilizing the city's finances. It exposes residents to higher tariffs, weaker service delivery, and a growing financial fragility. Speaker, affordability today is conditional, sustainability is fragile,

03:16:15the margin is narrow, the risks are material, and the political choices embedded in the adjustment budget carry long-term consequences. The city is still standing, but it's leaning. And I'm going to remind this Council once again, we as Councillors have a fiduciary duty to ensure that the city is financially stable and sustainable. I'm imploring all of you that we cannot approve a budget that puts the city into financial distress.

03:16:48If you are going to do that, please understand you risk your right to your salaries and may be taken away from you from National Treasury. Just a hint. For these reasons, the Democratic Alliance rejects this adjustment budget and reserves all its rights, including the right to act in defense of the city's financial sustainability and interest of its residents. I thank you.

Debate: EFF (Cllr Zitha) on spending outpacing income

03:17:11Thank you, Councillor. EFF, Councillor Zitha.

03:17:22Thank you very much, Speaker. Greetings to you. Greetings to the EFF leadership, Caucus Leader Mgcini Tshwaku, Caucus Whip Thabiso Mogapi, MMC of Health and Social Development, Councillor Ennie Makhafola, Chairperson of MPAC, Councillor

03:17:51Raseruthe Sepetlele, and to also welcome the newly sworn-in Councillors of the EFF, Councillor Khonkhobe and Councillor Motloung, and also I'm greeting the most important people, the residents of City of Johannesburg. Speaker, this item asks Council to approve the operating adjustment budget forclaim

03:18:222025/2026 financial year. An adjustment budget is normally used to correct the budget based on what has happened during the first half of the financial year. But what is before us today also tells a deeper story about the financial pressures facing the City of Johannesburg. The report indicates that the city initially approved the operating revenue of about 84.8 billionclaim

03:18:52and operating expenditure of about 80.7 billion. However, Speaker, that adjustment now increases expenditure by almost 982 million, while revenue increases by only about 28 million. What this means, Speaker, is that spending is increasing much faster than income. As a result, the city's expected surplus declined significantly, dropping from 4.2 billion

03:19:25to about 3.2 billion. For ordinary residents, this raises an important question: the city is becoming financially weaker instead of stronger. One of the most concerning areas in the adjustment budget is the sharp increase in debt impairment, which grows by more than 1 billion. Debt impairment refers to money that the city believes it will never be able to collect from residents and businesses.

03:19:56In simple terms, this tells us that more and more accounts in the city are becoming uncollectible. This is a warning sign of a deeper problem in the city's financial health. It shows that many residents are struggling to pay for the services. Maybe it's because there's no services at all. Speaker, at the same time, employee-related costs increase by more than 1.3 billion. While workers must always be

03:20:28treated fairly, we must also ensure that the city's wage bill does not grow at the expense of service delivery and infrastructure investment. Johannesburg residents are not asking for a bigger administration; they are asking for working streetlights, water, clean streets, functioning clinics, and safe communities. So, Speaker, another important issue highlighted in this report is that additional funding requests

03:21:00from departments were not allowed. Departments were instead required to reprioritize within the existing budget. While financial discipline is important, it also reveals that the city is operating under tight financial conditions where new service delivery pressures cannot easily be funded. Residents must understand that this adjustment budget comes

Debate: UDM (Cllr Zigebe) supports the adjustment budget

03:21:32Thank you, Councillor Zitha. Councillor Zigebe, UDM.

03:21:49Speaker, cities reveal their truth not in slogans, but in their budgets. When one reads this adjustment budget carefully, beyond the tables and accounting classifications, it tells us something important about the moment Johannesburg finds itself. When this Council adopted the 2025/2026 budget, the city projected operating revenue of approximately 84.8 billion and operating expenditure of 80.7 billion, leaving an operating surplusclaim

03:22:20before capital transfers of 4.15 billion. Through this adjustment process, that surplus is revised to 3.19 billion, a deterioration of about 954 million. That change matters, but what matters more is why it has happened. Revenue itself remains largely stable. Direct operating revenue increases only marginally from 84.82 billion to 84.85 billion, an increase of about 27.9 million.claim

03:22:51The real pressure lies on expenditure. Operating expenditure increases by 981.9 million, bringing total operating expenditure to 81.65 billion. The largest contributor to this pressure is employee-related costs, which increase by 1.35 billion, taking the city's wage bill to just over 23 billion. Municipal workers are not simply a cost center; they are the technicians repairing leaking pipes,claim

03:23:22the electricians restoring power, the firefighters protecting lives, and the front-line staff who keep the city functioning. But fiscal responsibility requires that personnel expenditure must not crowd out infrastructure investment, because infrastructure is the economic bloodstream of a city. Capital expenditure is revised downward from 8.70 billion to 8.42 billion, while borrowing decreases from 3.5 billion to 2.77 billion. Reducing borrowingclaim

03:23:52protects the city's balance sheet, but the trade-off is clear: when capital investment slows, infrastructure renewal slows. Residents do not experience that through financial statements; they experience it in the pothole that remains unrepaired, the substation that trips repeatedly, and the water leak that floods the streets for weeks. Speaker, these numbers should not cause panic, but they demand seriousness. Johannesburg remains an economic powerhouse.claim

03:24:23Property rates generate 18.13 billion, electricity services 25.8 billion, and water services 11.9 billion. So, as we support this adjustment budget, we must do so with clear eyes. It reflects a city adjusting to fiscal pressure while still maintaining a surplus position and protecting its financial stability. I thank you.claim

Debate: ANC (Cllr Radebe) supports an "honest budget"

03:24:46Thank you so much, Councillor. Councillor Radebe from the ANC.

03:25:00Thank you, Madam Speaker. Greetings to... Alright, greetings to Speaker, Councillor Margaret Arnolds, our Executive Mayor, His Worship Councillor Dada Morero, our Deputy Executive Mayor, Councillor Loyiso Masuku, members of the Mayoral Committee, the Chief Whip of Council, Councillor Kazamula Chauke, our Chair of Chairs,

03:25:32Councillor Marema, fellow Councillors, the residents of Johannesburg. Greetings to the CM and the CFO as well. Madam Speaker, I rise on Item 1, which is the adjustment budget for the financial year 2025/2026. Maybe, Madam Speaker, we first have to say that as the African National Congress, we support this budget, and we believe that it has been adjusted in accordance to the situation that we are faced. Madam Speaker,

03:26:04let me be frank. This is not an easy budget. This is not one of those budgets where we see beautiful numbers, where we can have grand celebration in the numbers. It's not a budget that leaves us with a surplus that gives us an allocation for new pet projects and other things. It's a budget that is under serious pressure. Madam Speaker, this particular budget represents something that is more important,

03:26:36more than popularity and, you know, what our fellow Councillors have been trying to do, becoming populist with this budget. It presents something that is more significant and what the people of Johannesburg want, and that is honesty. It's an honest budget that reflects on what exactly is happening in our books. Madam Speaker, there's been quite some time where the City of Johannesburg has been, you know, accused that we are not showing the residents or giving the residents what is in the actual books of the

03:27:12City of Johannesburg. And I remember there was a time where our colleagues sitting across the chamber, they would come to these podiums and they would say the city finances are in good shape, the city finances are fine. But we then later on realized and learned that that was not the case. As the African National Congress, we then decided and believed that a transparent budget is good for our people. We are blatantly,

03:27:43you know, honest, and we are saying these are the finances that are there. We are opening the books, showing the people of Johannesburg exactly what we are up against. Let me outline, Madam Speaker, maybe three things that drove this adjustment budget. Firstly, the cost of doing business has changed. We know that we are at the tail end of COVID, difficult economic climate, residents have been under

03:28:14serious pressure, businesses have been struggling, our economy has slowed down. And we all know, once the economy slows down, revenue collection slows down. The 1.05 billion increase in our debt impairment, it's a reflection of the fact that many of our people simply cannot pay their debts. We are not writing this off because of bad management, but we are providing this or giving a provision for this because we are being honest. To do

03:28:45an otherwise thing, it would be to drive the city straight into unauthorized expenditure. It would be to make sure that we don't get, or we fight rather, with the Auditor-General. Secondly, Madam Speaker, the 1.5 billion adjustment budget, you know, when I was going through this, I kept on hearing, you know, some of the discussions we had with Councillor Boer: wage bill, wage bill, wage bill. This adjustment budget, the 1.5 billion for the employee cost,

03:29:16it's a result of a collective bargaining agreement that has been signed by organized labor and us as local government. It is not an adjustment that we are just doing because we want to have a high wage bill, but it's because we value the employees that work within the city, as much as we are getting so much pressure from it. But this adjustment budget is to make sure that our Metro Police that are on the front line of our safety, our water technicians, our emergency service personnel,

03:29:47they are paid, and they are paid fairly. And it is also to make sure that we are a city that when we've said we'll do something, we make sure that we do it. We've had an agreement with our employees, and we need to make

03:30:00sure that we keep that particular agreement. But the third thing that has or that drove this budget, Madam Speaker, we need to make sure that all the time we pay our priority bills. Eskom and Rand Water do not want to negotiate. They want us to pay them. If then if we don't pay them, they switch off the lights, they close the taps. The adjustment budget to bulk purchases ensures that the city

03:30:26ensures that City Power and Joburg Water can be able to meet those particular obligations. As I said, it's not an easy budget, it's not a beautiful budget, it's not a glamorous budget, but it's an honest budget, and if we don't meet these obligations, it is not only the lights that will be off, but there'll be a dire impact on our clinics, on our station pumps,

03:30:52on our homes. So for us to make sure that we don't take the city into a complete total disaster, we need to make sure that we keep on adjusting the way we are. Our cash position has taken a knock. We have moved you know from 4.2 billion to 1.7 billion available in cash. Our current liabilities have increased, our net worth has decreased. These are the facts, Madam Speaker. They are there in the budget, we all know them.

03:31:18In the discussions we've had number of times whether with the CEO in the finance committee, we've admitted that this is the state of our finances as things stand, and we agree with that, but rather not telling our residents the truth, we believe that we should be honest not only because we believe that in being honest might win their hearts,

03:31:42but because we want to make sure that our city is sustainable and we are able to diagnose the problems that we are facing. The problems are out there. We all know them, now the job starts. Now we are saying how then do we make sure we fix this problem that we are facing? In part of supporting this budget, Madam Speaker, we strongly believe as the African National Congress that we need to fix the revenue collection.

03:32:10Yes, we have not been seeing the collection that is good. Collection is quite low. Our expenses are skyrocketing, so let's fix collection. The 9.1 billion debt impairment is unsustainable. We need to know who are these people that are owing us, who are these people that are in our debtors book? Are they indigent households that need help from us, or are they wealthy people that blatantly refuse to pay the city?

03:32:38So we believe that MMC and your team, let's make sure that we go after these people. If there are indigent people, we are able to apply for grants to cushion that. Credit control must take action. Fair and firm collection needs to happen without any fear or favour. Us as councillors, let's go back to our wards. Let's tell our residents

03:33:04the city is in a serious financial constraint. If we don't pull up our socks, if we don't go to Region D, if we don't go to Region G, if we don't say Region F, let's reduce this debt, we will not be able to turn around the city. It's a collective effort that should not necessarily be you know, given to one party and say MMC group CFO, do this. It's what we need to do as a collective.

03:33:30I think time of playing politics has come to an end. We're in a point where we cannot sit here and point fingers and be happy that the state of the city might be crumbling in the hands of certain councillors and we come and say we will not support this budget because we want to spite a particular political party or we want to spite the sitting government in the city. It will have a negative impact on our people. So we implore you know councillors

03:33:56this side and the other side that if we don't support this budget consequences are quite number, you know we've got number of consequences that we might see. I know Councillor Boer says if we don't adjust, we don't adjust, things will just continue as they are,

03:34:16but we might find this city being under administration.

03:34:2040 seconds.

03:34:22And I don't think that there is any councillor here that wants to preside over a municipality which is administered by someone else. As the African National Congress, we support this budget and we are imploring all city councillors to support the budget. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

03:34:36Thank you, Councillor Radebe.

Reply by Deputy Executive Mayor / MMC Finance Masuku

03:34:43There's so much movement in and out. It's overwhelming. MMC Masuku, Deputy Executive Mayor.

03:34:58Thank you, Madam Speaker. May I please say something before you start my time? I see MMCs are allocated 5 minutes, but I think it's something we need to consider for budget adjustments and budget conversations where councillors have raised important matters that I think we have to respond to them if we are to really do justice,

03:35:20but I think it's something that the whips may want to consider in terms of the time allocation. It's not about me, but I think it's about the future so that the engagements are actually meaningful because councillors raise points as caucuses so that they are assisted with responses, but it's something that I just thought I should put as a disclaimer.

03:35:43MMC, before you start your time, it is something that we have discussed and we are looking into it. Your time will start now.

03:35:54Thank you, Madam Speaker. All protocol observed, Executive Mayor, Madam Speaker, the city manager and fellow MMCs. Speaker, through you, Councillor Cook has raised an issue and I think we have a responsibility to educate Councillor Cook about the separation of powers that were adopted in 2006. The Section 79claim

03:36:18cannot approve any budget. That is the role of council, and before it comes to council, it starts at the mayoral committee. That is how the separation of powers works. He's the chairperson of the Section 79 and I think we have a responsibility to take him through. We accept that maybe he's new and we have a bigger responsibility to induct new councillors. The other element on the issue of the 979 million, Speaker,

03:36:45MMC, just hold on. Colleagues. Thank you, MMC.claim

03:36:53The 979 million will be released by National Treasury. We are waiting for the amended payment schedule before the 31st of March. Yes, Councillor Steenkamp, this budget is for the people indeed. That is why we all of us agree that we must be able to then support this budget so that it does the work

03:37:17and we've agreed and in the Section 79 we tabled the turnaround strategy on revenue and we were all of us there together including Councillor Boer, including Councillor Santana, and all the councillors were pleased with the interventions that we are making in terms of turning around revenue. Councillor Harris, you are correct. The PFA was signed in 2016 and of course what is important is that

03:37:43we agreed that the implementation must happen and I think all of us collectively we have a responsibility to make sure that we work together and thank you to the ACDP for choosing residents of Johannesburg by supporting the budget. Councillor Boer and Councillor Santana, the issue of the salaries overspending is already included on the adjustment budget. If you check on page 7

03:38:07of the operating budget, it is actually there clearly articulated and we've made provision for the also about the issue of dealing with bad debt and the overspending on electricity. I think we've raised this in council over and over that it's on the basis of the Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 and we'll continue to push entities to bring down their losses both water and

03:38:33electricity. Councillor Nkonyeni, yes indeed, the inner city rejuvenation has been allocated money. Thank you for that acknowledgement and it's a testament to the Executive Mayor's leadership on the work that we do in the inner city to make sure we revitalize the City of Johannesburg and the high impact service delivery that we do to ensure that we improve our CBDs and making sure that we continue to get

03:39:00the service delivery elements done. Speaker, I think what is important, Councillor Zitha has raised the matter of being transparent and that is why we bring Section 71 reports to council. It is a mechanism to ensure we are a transparent government. Otherwise we would then be hiding the Section 71 reports. Yes, there may be weaknesses that we need to improve upon and that is why then the Section 79

03:39:27has that responsibility to deal with that. And then Councillor Zigebe, yes we agree, and absolutely I think what is important is that we must prioritize services. Thank you Councillor Radebe as well as articulating the importance of an honest budget that reflects why we bring adjustment budgets in line with the MFMA. Lastly, Madam Speaker,

03:39:51all the councillors have reflected on the PFA. The PFA politically facilitated agreement is a significant milestone for the City of Joburg employees. It marks a major step forward in correcting long-standing historic salary disparities. They date back from 1995. I was still at school at that time,

03:40:12but you are a successor in law and you are a successor in title. Therefore, there were issues during the amalgamation, there were issues in terms of the categorization of municipalities by COGTA, and employees of the City of Johannesburg have always been disadvantaged and never got what is due to them. So this midterm adjustment budget is a fulfilment to a commitment

03:40:36of all of us that we made because we agreed that we must fulfil this in council and it came here and we must make sure that our employees have a sustainable salary structure and we strengthen our workforce and we ensure that there's stability which enables better service delivery and ensure that the residents receive services. Workers must get what is due to them

03:41:02and it must be us who make them to be motivated, it must be us who must assist them because if they are motivated then they will accelerate service delivery, then they will assist us with collection at revenue in the customer care areas. When they go to do cutoffs, they will not be tempted to do otherwise, but they will stick to the book and make sure that they collect what is due to the city, therefore assisting in the issues you raised on debt impairment, Councillor Zitha,

03:41:30the issues you raised on debt impairment, Councillor Santana, because then we are able to bring money in coffers into the city. The frontline workers at Joburg Water, Pikitup, City Power, at CRUM, the different general workers who are in the forefront of service delivery, they are the ones who deserve this money and we must make sure that as council, we vote

03:41:56for a budget that will ensure workers are motivated to provide services to the residents of Johannesburg. I implore all councillors and request council to approve this progressive people's budget for service delivery for the people of Johannesburg. I thank you.

Procedure dispute: bell and getting councillors into the chamber

03:42:14Thank you so much, MMC. I now want to ask that all councillors be in the chamber. We are going to be voting

03:42:31or we are going to be agreeing. So can you ensure that every councillor is in the chamber? Whether you say yes, whether you say no, whether you say I don't know, can we ensure? I'm going to ring the bell. I'm going to ring the bell, and look if your neighbour is next to you. If your neighbour is not, tell your neighbour to be in the chamber.

03:42:59I want to ensure that we have everybody here. If you reject, if you abstain. I did not ask for us to walk. I am going to I want to ensure that we do the right things. Councillor Christians. You don't have to get up, you can sit. If you can't park your car right, then you should be sitting.

03:43:25Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm a bit confused in terms of the process. The ringing of the bells is only done when a roll call is done. We haven't yet even said yay or nay, but you're already jumping to the next step which is the ringing of the bells. Can we please follow the process of council in terms of voting so that there's no dispute going forward? Thank you.

03:43:45Councillor Christians, whether we say yay, nay, yay, yay, councillors walk around. Councillors has been up and down for the entire morning and I am asking them to be here so when they say yay, nay, then it is a yay, nay of all of us. Okay. So the recommendations are on pages

03:44:111.22. Is the item agreed to?

03:44:32Thank you, councillors. Thank you, councillors. There it sounds exactly like it's not yay, it's not nay, it sounds like the cats in the morning that wake me up.

03:44:53Can we go again, yes or no?

03:44:57Yes.

03:45:11I no, no, colleagues, colleagues, I am not certain what we are doing. I'm going to ask for the bell to be rung so that we have everybody in the chamber so that we are able to deal with the issue. Councillor Christians, I've been a councillor for very long and I know how we run out of the chamber. So can we ring the bell?

03:45:40And then can we close our doors so that we don't go out?

Procedure dispute: councillors outside, DA objection, Al Jama-ah break request

03:47:12Is your neighbour next to you? No. Councillor Christians.

03:47:21Thank you, Madam Speaker. Now that the drums have gone, are you still going to ring the bell?

03:47:28AfrikaansDis snaakse mense dan was dit jy.

03:47:33Is your neighbour next to you? Because I'm going to start.

03:47:41I've got councillors outside still. No, but this is what I'm saying, people are outside.

03:47:56Speaker, there's no lunch, please.

03:47:59You see, colleagues, can you listen to me? You see what I don't want, and this is going to be normal. I cannot have us running in when we are voting, and then poor Peter must go back and recount you, and when we have counted, then you argue about the numbers.

03:48:31No, no, no, there's some of your there's people from all over that's not here. And this one is not up for a discussion. I need to have councillors inside because I'm going to start the process.

03:48:55Can we close the doors? Councillor Belinda, what's the issue?

03:49:06Madam Speaker, I'm going to urge you to please stick to the rules. You are bending the rules based on who is outside. It's very concerning for us. Please can I ask you to be consistent and stick to the rules? Please, Madam Speaker, you don't want us to also reserve our rights on process.

03:49:26I don't know who's outside. Thank you, Councillor Amad, I'm not going to allow you, or let me allow you.

03:49:43Thank you, Speaker. It's a point of exigency. We as Al Jama-ah we requesting for a 15-minute break.

03:49:51Uh-uh. We've gone through an item. Please MMC, don't. There's a councillor at the back that your hand has been up. I've been told Seerane, your hand is up and we are going to start. We are going to start. Seerane.

03:50:06No, thank you very much, Speaker. What I wanted to highlight is that the bell was rung more than once, so let's get the job done. We are not going to waste time with people who are roaming around outside. Please. Thank you very much.claim

03:50:15We are getting it done. Thank you so much, councillor. We are getting it done. Okay. We are now going to vote. We are going to count. We are carrying on. Right.

Voting begins and is halted by a councillor's medical emergency

03:50:31Those who I can't hear. I don't know sign language, Councillor Belinda. Okay. Can I get those councillors who abstains? Yes, councillor just hold on. We are voting, Councillor Johannes.

03:51:00Hello, we have a situation here. We need a medication. She's down.

03:51:06We have a situation here.

03:51:20We're getting the paramedics, thank you. We can't all run there. We can't all run there.

03:51:55Councillor Zitha, can you all get away from that person and only be one person there? Otherwise you are going to kill the councillor.

03:54:02Colleagues, colleagues, colleagues, councillors, councillors, I'm not sure why we are all moving up and down. We only have one councillor that there's a situation. Can we deal with it? The medics has come in. Colleagues,

03:54:29the medical guys are inside. Now we've all become doctors. No, no, no, councillor, we don't need that. No, Councillor Johannes, no. The medical team is there. No.

03:54:57But councillor, there's someone that walked in that's medical. No, no, no, no, no. We won't have this disorder.

03:55:16Councillor Pietersen.

03:55:22Speaker, given the unexpected delay at such a critical moment, I suggest that we have to put our phones in a basket so that we cannot have side caucuses while we are attending to medical issues in the corner there.

03:55:39Councillor Pietersen. Councillor Pietersen, if someone faints or gets a heart attack, it's unexpected. It's got nothing to do with phones, it's got nothing to do with anything. Nobody had foreseen that this person was going to faint.

03:56:02In 2016, we lost a councillor in a similar way. In a very similar way, we lost a councillor. So please don't, don't. Don't be insensitive.

03:56:36Councillors, are we winning at the back?

Resumption: Deputy Mayor update and complaints about EMS response and process

04:00:06Deputy Mayor.

04:00:08Colleagues, the Councillor is getting attention. I've been there myself to see. She is getting attention. She's on oxygen. So I would ask that we get to our seats, those of us that are able to get to our seats. Can we get to our seats? Only three seats that are close to her, let's get away from there.

04:00:35I've spoken to EMS. Ja. Let's get back to our seats. I'll only get into the business once we are back into our seats.

04:01:12Can we get into the business of the day? Colleagues, can we be seated so that we can continue with the business of the day? Councillor Belinda. And apologies for that. That's why I went over there myself.

04:01:40Is there any mic that is on? So that Councillor Belinda's mic can go on.

04:01:49Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I want to first raise the issue of the response time of EMS when we have them here. It took quite a while for EMS to respond to a councillor in sitting, to an emergency. That's a very big concern for us considering they are right outside here. That's the first issue I have.

04:02:17Secondly, I have a concern, Madam Speaker, with regards to the process that is currently undertaking considering that this chaos could be questionable already with the fact that nobody was sitting in their seats and we are proceeding and people were going in and out. I want to just put it on record with whatever you are proceeding with. I'm just putting it on record for the record. Thank you.

04:02:44On a point of order, what is she saying? What is she saying?

04:02:48Colleagues, I cannot respond and tell you what was said.

04:02:58Colleagues. Zitha, please. Just one sec.

04:03:16Colleagues, can we be seated? And I hope that all of us are now inside. Councillor Rohlssen, I'm not sure, are you responding to Councillor Belinda?

04:03:29Yes, Madam Speaker, just on that point, when I looked for the EMS, they were actually sitting outside in the ambulance, whereas normally they should be sitting inside the premises. So if I can just ask that they are always sitting [inaudible].

04:03:43We will address it.

04:03:44[inaudible] that would be appreciated. Thank you.

04:03:46Thank you so much. We will address it. So once again, I hope that we are all in the chamber, and I hope, because I don't know when we have certain situations, we all get up and we all walk out. I'm not sure what the reason for that is, because we could have been able to contain the situation. So can councillors that are outside walk inside?

04:04:12If you are a councillor standing behind that wall, walk in.

Stretcher delay; request for 20-minute break refused

04:04:26Can councillors that are outside walk faster? Okay, we are going to start with the voting. No, we are starting with the voting. There's no no's now. I'm not taking hands. We are starting with the voting because you were supposed to be in the chamber.

04:04:49Speaker, the stretcher is coming. We can't vote when the stretcher is coming. Let them take her out, then we'll vote.

04:04:57No, I think that is valid. I think that is valid. Let them take her out. Where's the stretcher? Colleagues, we still have three items.

04:05:22The councillor at the back, can you walk in? Don't go to that councillor. Come in and sit down. Can we hear where's the stretcher? Can they come in?

04:05:44The officials that are there, can you get the stretcher? Don't send the councillors. Sholan and company, get the stretcher.

04:06:00You know, one day we must say to ourselves, we are ill-disciplined. We must repeat it like Grade 1s, we are ill-disciplined. We don't allow processes to move. And legal is saying it all next to me.

04:06:29Ma'am Sholan, I need you guys to get out with the councillor that's not well. So where is the stretcher? No, I didn't call you here, Ma'am Sholan. Remain that side, bring the stretcher in.

04:06:56Okay, I understand now. Councillors, I understand what's happening. They are saying that the stretcher is there, but they are busy with a blood pressure and taking blood. So if we can be patient, sit down and wait for them to finish that, we will start with the process. Because it's not a process where we have ballots and where we are doing things. Please, there's the stretcher, it's coming. She will now go onto the stretcher.

04:07:30isiZulu[inaudible] uthethe [inaudible].

04:07:34AfrikaansAg Johannes. Johannes, ek ken jou stem.

04:07:43Councillor Magwentshu.

04:07:48Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, [inaudible]

04:07:51Sorry, Johannes.

04:07:53Speaker, whilst they are busy with that process, can you not maybe give us 20 minutes?

04:07:57Uh-uh. No. No. Not at all. Today I'm saying there will be luck elsewhere. She's getting on, we are going to vote. There are other councillors that are also not feeling well, and I'm scared we're going to have a second and a third session like this.

04:08:33Pleased to meet you. I'm Councillor Margaret Arnolds. Pleased to meet you, Hungry.

04:08:44isiZuluSiye ehlathini [inaudible]

04:08:49There's a councillor that's going to be divorced tonight. It's a male. You've lost your wedding band.

04:09:07Fighter.

04:09:14Fighter yo.

04:14:22Madam Speaker, the councillor has left the building on a stretcher.

Division and outcome on the operating adjustment budget

04:14:39Did I hear someone saying, "Speaker"? Yes, Councillor Christians. Ja, I've seen they've gone out, so we are going to be starting, okay? Can I have then everybody into the chamber, everybody seated on their seats so that we are able to deal with the matters of the day.

04:15:00AfrikaansRaadsheer Zitha, jy raak 'n probleem.

04:15:04Go take it and come back. Don't come to me. Don't. Don't come to me. Take it and come back. You are being problematic now.

04:15:26I said earlier on, we are very ill-disciplined. Chair of Chairs, can we be seated? All of us, can we be seated? We want to start the business of the day. We haven't even started.

04:15:48I'm going to start where I ended.

04:15:59You see, when we point fingers, we must know three point back to us. Councillors, I am rereading in. The recommendations are on page 1.22. Is the item agreed to?

04:16:17No!

04:16:26Yes!

04:16:29No!

04:16:32Okay. Once again, it is the same song that we sang earlier on. It's the same song. We are now going to divide the house and we are going to vote. Okay. Can we have councillors seated? I'm going to ask that they take the tea away. Very seriously.

04:17:06Okay, we start with those that say abstains.

04:20:29You can lower your hands. Those that say no.

04:22:20You can lower your hands. All the yeses, can you put up your hands? Those that say yes, can you put up your hands?

04:23:34isiZuluImali encane kangaka siyisebenzela ekhaya [inaudible].

04:23:56One loaf, one family.

04:24:03One loaf, one family.

04:24:28One loaf, one family.

04:24:51SesothoWa bona ge o bolela ga o kgotla khamera e tla mo go wena.

04:24:55When you press the camera [inaudible]

04:25:17The yeses, can you lower your hands? Can the yeses lower their hands?

04:25:36[inaudible] one family, one loaf, one family [inaudible]

04:26:08isiZulu[inaudible] ekhaya siyisebenzela [inaudible]

04:26:26When we don't get what we want.

04:26:46Magwentshu, are you singing for your loaf?

04:26:49One loaf, one family. One loaf, one family. One loaf, one family. One loaf, one family. One loaf, one family. One loaf, one family.

04:27:06Councillor Magwentshu, are you singing for your loaf?

04:27:08One loaf, one family. One loaf, one family. One loaf, one family. One loaf, one family.

04:27:27Councillors! Councillors! Councillors!

04:27:52Councillors! Councillors!

04:28:04One loaf, one family!

04:28:11isiZuluAmandla!

04:28:22Can we now get back to business, Councillor Nkonyeni? The SANDF is outside. Can we get back to business? Councillors, those that abstained, you are 58. Those that said no, you are 67.

04:28:53And those of you that said yes, you are 117. By the item, aai. The item, I see we have another speaker in the council, and it would be serious if we can do that because then some of us will have some thinking time.

04:29:24So the item is not carried. The item, can I finish?

04:29:31AfrikaansMag ek klaar praat?

04:29:34The item needs 136, so we're going to the next item. I thank you. STC.

04:29:43isiZuluBaningi abantu abasebenzi kanzima.

Withdrawal of items 2, 3 and 4 and adjournment

04:29:44The guy that lost the, just hold on, STC. Deputy Executive Mayor, MMC Masuku.

04:29:52Thank you, Madam Speaker. On behalf of the executive, we'd like to withdraw item 2, item 3, and [inaudible]

04:30:00I just hold on MMC. You know why we sometimes don't know what's happening or how things happen? Because we start chiming into other people's mouths. There's one thing that councilors don't do, a lot of us, we don't listen and we don't read. So can we give the MMC an opportunity so those of you that goes to the media, you are able to interpret properly

04:30:30what she has said. MMC, Deputy Executive Mayor, can we hear you?

04:30:38Thank you, Madam Speaker. On behalf of the Executive, would like to withdraw item two, item three, item four for uh this council meeting and would also like to inform SAMWU that uh the EFF and the DA and ActionSA rejected their salary wage implementation.claim

04:30:59Thank you so much.

04:31:01We don't care about SAMWU. We don't care about SAMWU.

04:31:03Financial stability first.

04:31:08Colleagues. Colleagues.

04:31:09We don't report to SAMWU.

04:31:11Colleagues.

04:31:12Enemy of the workers.

04:31:13SAMWU is here.

04:31:14Colleagues.

04:31:15SesothoLe rejectile.

04:31:17We don't report to SAMWU. We don't

04:31:22isiZuluNithengisa abasebenzi.

04:31:24Can I Can I speak? Unless there is a Deputy Unless there is a Deputy Speaker that I can call to the podium to complete the the the session. Councilor Councilor Councilor um Sharon um Councilor Belinda, apologies. I just But thank you. Your hand was up.

04:31:55It's Councilor Echeozonjoku.

04:31:58Echeozonjoku, there you go.

04:32:01Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker.

04:32:03Colleagues, can we please Just hold on. I am listening to Councilor Belinda. I just ask that we listen to each other. Councilor Belinda, you can carry on.

04:32:14Madam Speaker, I just want to put it on record that the DA is on record rejecting the BFA and we've put those message very clearly.

04:32:20Thank you, Councilor. Thank you. Colleagues. Colleagues.

04:32:27Rejecting the workers.

04:32:29When is our

04:32:35Councilors, so the meeting

04:32:37Er workers you are rejected.

04:32:39isiZuluHaibo!

04:32:40We are not reporting to SAMWU.

04:32:41So the meeting is adjourned. The meeting is adjourned. Our next meeting is on the 24th and 25th.

04:32:49EFF is a sell out.

04:32:51Thank you.

04:32:59No, you must

04:33:02Zitha, you are a sell out. Zitha, you are a sell out.

04:33:06SepediYou must start understanding gore we are not leading

04:33:11Zitha, she's a sell out.

04:33:13Together in this

04:33:16Sell out.

04:33:17Oh that's your