Transcript: 47th Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting

Quorum check and leave of absence

00:00:04Colleagues, can we be seated? Our 10 minutes is past. I see there's a a movement going out. Can we be seated?

00:00:24We are 143 councilors present in the chamber and there are 154 councilors who have signed the register. As a result we have a quorum and the meeting will continue. STC.

00:00:43We now proceed with applications for leave of absence.

00:00:48Colleagues, councilors that have asked for leave of absence, Councilor F. Roberts private business.

00:01:09Colleagues, I'm advised that we we have 143 that's inside and 154. We might have lost our quorum. So, can we ask those councilors to come So, can we ask those councilors to come in? Pardon? Pardon?

00:01:41private business. Councilor J. Karolia reasons Councilor F. Chame to leave at 1600 hours, religious reasons. Councilor R. Landis to leave at 1600 hours, religious reasons. Councilor Z. Shawe to leave at 1600 hour. Councilor C. Fourie-Shawe to leave at 1600 hour. Councilor D.

00:02:11Schay to leave at 1600 hour. Councilor J. Horwitz to leave at 1600 hour. Now, I will ask whether there's any other leave of absence from within the house? Councilor Smit, and then Councilor Ndlela, and then Councilor um

00:02:41Mogapi, and then MMC Kunene, and then uh Councilor Ntombela and then I'm not sure Councilor Simonse together with MMC. Right. In that way, can we go?

00:03:01Thank you, Speaker. Um I'm not sure if you got to the late arrivals, um we've got Councilor Andrew Marais who'll be arriving late due to party business. Councilor Kamela and Councilor Moloisane have car trouble, they'll be here shortly. Thank you.

00:03:20Thank you so much Councilor Smit. Next Councilor.

00:03:23Thank you, Madam Speaker. Uh I have a leave of absence for Councilor Nair who'll join us at 13 hours due to religious commitment and Councilor Shange is requesting to leave at 14 hours if we'll not be done by that time. Thank you.

00:03:38Thank you, Councilor Ndlela. Councilor Mogapi.

00:03:42Thank you, Speaker. Greeting councilors from the EFF, it's Councilor Ntoele ill health, Councilor Ngwenya, ill health, and Councilor Dladla, ill health. Thank you.

00:03:51Thank you, Councilor. The next hand was MMC, are you? I'm speaking. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good afternoon, Madam Speaker, and to the house. Um MMC Kunene is going to leave at 1:00. We have uh um late arrivals which is Councilor Dewes and Councilor Marilyn Smouse. Thank you.

00:04:12Thank you so much Councilor. The next councilor was Councilor Ntombela.

00:04:20Thank you, Speaker. Good morning, colleagues. Um ActionSA Councilor Themba Mabunda family bereavement, ill health Councilor Moshapo, Councilor Matabane, and Councilor Nkomo. Councilor Mkhonto, party business. Thank you, Speaker.

00:04:41Thank you so much. I think that was all the hands that I noted. Um are these apologies noted? Thank you so much.STC, next item.

Recommendations tabled and EFF caucus break

00:04:55Now we move to recommendations to council.

00:05:00Deputy Executive Mayor, can you give us Table the reports.

00:05:06Thank Thank you uh Speaker, uh fellow fellow councilors I hereby Um Deputy Mayor

00:05:16Thank you, Speaker. Sorry for disturbing the Deputy Mayor, I've raised my hand before. The EFF, it's requesting for a 5-minutes caucus.

00:05:27After we After we have tabled you can have your 5 minutes. Thank you, Deputy Executive Mayor.

00:05:34Thank you, Madam Speaker, uh fellow councilors. Um I hereby rise to table recommendations to council for consideration. Thank you, Speaker.

00:05:43Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor. Uh 5 minutes it is. It's now 12:21, so at 12:26 you are back, not 12:27 or 12:28, 12:26. Thank you so much.

00:13:57Councilors, can we now be seated? Our 5 minutes is gone. Can we be seated?

00:14:29Colleagues, can we be seated? Chief whip, deputy chief whip. Protocol, can we give water to councilors that are indicating they need water? Thank you so much. Can we get Councilor Mogapi to report back to us? Your 5 minutes became 8 minutes. Can we have you report back?

00:15:09Thank you, Speaker. The EFF is ready to to start the meeting.

Welcome to Mangaung delegation and whips' caucus

00:15:14Okay, before we go to the item, I would just like to welcome in our midst um the Speaker's Office from Mangaung, as well as the uh Knowledge Management from Mangaung, as well as as well as MPAC from Mangaung, and the City Manager's Office from Mangaung. They came to You may clap.

00:15:52They came to the City of Johannesburg as officials to benchmark and we are saying you are welcome, and thank you so much for benchmarking in the City of Johannesburg. STC.

00:16:12Chief Whip.

00:16:16Uh morning, Speaker, morning, greetings to the Executive Mayor, and greetings to the Speaker, and greetings to the Deputy Executive Mayor, Chair of Chairs, and all councilors and MMCs. I would like Speaker, to have a 10-minutes caucus break with the whips so that we can fix other things.

00:16:42So, you're asking for 10 minutes with the whips. Okay, whips, I'm granting it, but it's 10 minutes. It's 12:33, 12:43 let's come back. If you're not a whip, remain seated. If you are not a whip, you remain seated.

00:26:50Are the whips back? We asked that everybody be seated besides whips outside, but now it seems like everybody else is outside. Chief Whip. You did not whip them enough because now they are all all over the place.

00:27:14Thanks, Speaker. Uh we had our meeting, our short caucus with all the whips. Uh we agreed that uh caucuses who want to debate they will debate, but caucuses who feel that they must just note, they will note. Thank you, Speaker.

00:27:37Thank you so much. Can Can Can whips ensure that everybody's in the house so that we can continue with our meeting?

00:27:53We should have started at 4:00 because it looks like we are not ready at 12:00. Thank you, colleagues. Can we Can we then carry on?

Item 1 opens: security concerns over protesters at the entrance

00:28:06Uh on recommendations to council, we starting off with item one and that is the operating adjustment budget for the 2025-26 financial year.

00:28:17Thank you so much. Can we go to the first uh councilor, Councilor M. Cook from GOOD. Colleagues, I see a hand behind the Councilor Cook. Uh the the hand of Councilor Seerane. Councilor Seerane.

00:28:37Thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, I need clarity in terms of our safety. When we gathered here, there were lot of people in the entrance blocking us, insulting us, swearing at us, physically uh confronting us. Where is our safety there? Should next time when people have concern in our community we bring them here and close the entrance? How can we allow such to happen? Thank you very much. I just need clarity on that one.

00:29:02Councilor Seerane, when we opened up the meeting, I gave and I said I had two councilors that came to the office and said they are worried because there are people outside. I did speak and I could not even get the right word out of VOC. VOC had said that they are dealing with it and that there will be no injuries or no one will be assaulted. So, if you have been assaulted, please tell us who assaulted you so that we are able to deal with that individual.

00:29:37But it is under control from from JOC, VOC, it's under control. Can we continue with the with the item? Councilor from GOOD, can we get you?

00:29:51SesothoRena re tlo tseba bjang batho ba SAMWU?

00:29:54How will I point someone from SAMWU? How will I know those people? It's bad, Speaker.

00:29:59Pardon?

00:30:00How will I know those people of SAMWU?

00:30:02I'm allowing you. Can you say what you want to say, councillor?

00:30:09How will I identify people that I don't know because they are wearing same regalia, they're of SAMWU? Will I point, is this one or that one? In the first place, they were not supposed to be allowed to be here, Speaker. Please, they must do their whatever that they are doing outside, not here at the entrance.

00:30:26Councillor, can I can I can I respond to the councillor? Councillor, can you can you and me look at each other? When we do council preparation, there is a body called VOC, where we have JMPD and SAPS and everybody there. Even some of our protocols are there. So, when we deal with it, I can see your hand, MMC. When we deal with VOC, they give us the the the comfort that we are being protected. And this morning, when Councillor Smit came to me, I spoke to VOC, and VOC indicated that that everything is in order. So, if there are people Uh-uh. Can we listen?

00:31:28So, when there are people that are intimidating people, we must please give it to us so that we can notify them. Right now, Councillor Seerane, we have made a note of it. People from protocol has gone out to speak to the the the sergeants outside to tell them what's happening. So, we will report back to you during the course of this meeting. Can we carry on with the meeting? Councillor, MMC?

00:32:05Speaker, Speaker, you should take the concerns of Councillor Seerane very serious. You should do that because you don't know what happened last time. You don't know what We are not scared. We are not scared to fight.

00:32:23Colleagues.

00:32:24I'm saying I'm saying I'm saying to you outside, the utterances of MMC Masuku led to the assault of Thabisa, Councillor Thabisa. The utterances of the misinformation of MMC Masuku led to the assault of the EFF councillors. You must deal with it right now. Nobody. I'm telling you right now. We are not going to stop. You must deal with it about the decision that actually happened.

00:32:55MMC,

00:32:56So, take it very serious.

00:32:57MMC, MMC,

00:33:00You are MMC of safety! We must ask you...

00:33:02Look at Mmbengwa, there's no one who said you must stand up here. Sit down! Sit down, Mmbengwa. Sit down!

00:33:33Councillor Mogapi was assaulted. A woman was assaulted because of the misinformation of MMC Masuku here, lied in public about the EFF, and she got assaulted about that. So, let's deal with it.

00:33:47MMC?

00:33:48Wait, wait, wait, wait.

00:33:49MMC?

00:33:50Wait. I'm telling you right now, let's sort it out.

00:33:56MMC, can I respond to you? MMC, can I respond to you and to the house at large? Colleagues, Councillor Mogapi? Colleagues, can I can I respond? I'm not going to respond until we all keep quiet.

00:34:24I can't assure you, I can't assure you if you are on my throat.

00:34:40Colleagues, colleagues, colleagues. Councillor Mogapi, Councillor Mogapi, Councillor Mogapi, I cannot respond to anybody if I have everybody down my throat. Colleagues, I will wait until you are all done.

00:35:18I will wait until you are all done with your insults. No, I can hear from here. I can hear. I'm not talking to you. Zitha, please. Councillor Zitha, I'm not talking to you. Colleagues, one, one, I have told you that I've spoken to the people that deals with council, um, to see that we are safe. And I said when Councillor Seerane spoke, I ended off by saying, Councillor Seerane, protocol has noted what you have said. And protocol is on their way out to ensure that we are all safe.

00:36:16And I said I'll come back and report during the course of the meeting that we are all safe. I'm not sure how must I repeat it. Can I repeat it in Afrikaans?

00:37:00The captain from SAPS is downstairs, and the captain indicated if there's anybody that was assaulted, can you please go and open up a case? Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh. I MMC, MMC, I will write to you the message from the captain because it seems like not everybody wants to listen to that message, but I'll send it to you. Thank you, MMC.

00:37:40Councillor S and T, Councillor Belinda,

00:37:46AfrikaansEk gaan dit nou nie kan regkry nie.

00:37:49Sorry, ma'am. Apologies.

00:37:51AfrikaansMadam Speaker, baie dankie. Ek is baie bekommerd, Madam Speaker, dat u vir ons kan nie vir ons kan sê dat u kan nie vir ons garantee van onse veiligheid nie. Dit is wat u voorheen nou gesê het, en dis 'n groot probleem vir my, dat u nie vir ons onse veiligheid kan garantee nie. Ons weet van VOC en al die ander mense wat u vir ons nou van gesê het en die SAPS, maar dis 'n groot probleem as u in 'n council sitting vir ons sê dat u kan nie onse veiligheid garantee nie. Dis 'n groot probleem.

00:38:25AfrikaansCouncillor Belinda, kom ek sê vir jou, Raadslid Belinda, ek het in geen omstandighede gesê ek kan dit nie garantee nie. Ek het gesê wat aangaan en ek het ook gesê dat dit is nie 'n probleem. Wie ook nie veilig voel nie, moet asseblief vir ons sê hulle voel nie veilig nie en dat ook die stasiebevelvoerder en almal is buitekant om sake te registreer indien ons nie indien daar iemand is wat nie veilig voel nie.

00:38:59So, if we don't feel safe, I can I'm I am not I am not one that works with VOC or JOC, so I don't understand if they tell or I cannot say they are wrong when they are saying we are all safe. I am a councillor like everybody else and my safety is also in jeopardy if you are not safe. So, can we carry on? Can we carry on with the meeting? Huh? Mohlala from ActionSA? Apologies, I did not see your hand. Apologies, Mohlala.

00:39:50IT will put your mic on now.

00:40:04No, thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, there must not be an Animal Farm here, Speaker. When the residents are coming here to protest about water, you are telling them to stand outside. The very same VOC is telling them to stand outside. What's the difference between the residents who are fighting for water and they must stand outside? But now, these ones, they are being told to stand inside. So, what's the difference, Speaker?

10-minute adjournment to assess safety and report back

00:40:45Colleagues, we are going to take 10 minutes to assess the situation. Uh-uh, no, no. You asked us to see whether you are safe. So, how do you want us to guarantee that you are safe? Colleagues, I know. We're having a five We're having a 10-minute break. We'll come back and respond to you.

00:41:32Chair of chairs.

00:52:07Can we be seated so that we can report back? We can't report back if we are not seated. And every time that we want to report back, we find that councillors are moving out. I'm not sure the anarchy that...

00:52:55Colleagues, uh while you're having your small caucuses and you seem not to want to sit, I I am proceeding and I'm saying to you, we have spoken to the captain and the captain is now ushering them to where we want them, to go outside on the other side of the fence. So, we have dealt with it, and I'm hoping that we are all now fine. Can we go and get Councillor Cook? Councillor Cook, it's it's your turn. Thank you. IT, can we have the mics on?

00:53:54IT, can we have the mics on, please? Please switch off your mic so long. Is there a roving mic? Can you bring the roving mic then whilst you fix?

00:54:33Oh god.

00:54:45I have a report that they are all outside now. Councillor Cook?

Item 1 debate: Operating Adjustment Budget (GOOD, PA, ACDP, AIC)

00:54:51Good morning, Madam Speaker. Good morning, Executive Mayor in absentia. Good morning, Deputy Executive Mayor. Good morning, all MMCs, all Section 79 chairpersons, Chief Whip, good morning. Uh Speaker, I rise to speak on this item, but um nothing has changed since the last uh speech I made. So, I think all the comments that I made the last time are still relevant and still on the record. I don't think that there's anything that I need to reiterate. Um I do thank the MMC for some of the responses uh given in the last one. I am a little bit concerned about the response regarding training and my capacity as chair. Um I think in light of what has been said this morning, we need to be a little more sensitive about how we respond to things and maybe not make it so personal. I think it's a bit concerning that an MMC of public safety is raising a safety concern. Um it's concerning.

00:55:56Um so, with that, Speaker, uh everything that I've said the last time uh is still on record. Um I plead with the people in the house to please make sure that their responses are accurate. Let's not mislead the house. Um my request previously that this report came to the Section 79 Finance Committee was a genuine request, and I'm happy to have a discussion with the MMC to clarify my position. I think I was misrepresented in the MMC's response, but um my my uh statement remains the same. Thank you, Speaker.

00:56:28Thank you so much, Councillor Cook. Can we have Councillor Steenkamp from the PA? Just behind you, bhuti.

00:56:36Good afternoon, Speaker, uh Honourable Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and everyone present, MMCs. Uh Speaker, the PA notes this report.

00:56:46Thank you so much, Councillor Steenkamp. Councillor Harris, colleagues, Councillor Harris from the ACDP.

00:56:56My mic is working. Good afternoon, Madam Speaker. Good afternoon, um Executive Mayor, Deputy Mayor, MMCs, chairpersons. I'm rising to speak to item one, the operating adjustment budget for the 2025/2026 financial year. The ACDP notes this report. Thank you.

00:57:19Thank you, councillor. Councillor T. Mhlongo from the AIC.

00:57:27Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Uh greetings to yourself, greetings to the Executive Mayor, Deputy Executive Mayor, all members of the MMCs, uh chairpersons of the Section 79, councillors in the gallery, oh sorry, in the chamber, and our guests in the gallery. All To all of you, good afternoon. Madam Speaker, the AIC rises to support and note the report. Thank you so much.

Item 1 debate: ActionSA rejects the budget

00:57:56Thank you so much, Councillor Mhlongo. Councillor N. Edward, I'm not sure if it's Edward or Edwards, from the ActionSA.

00:58:11Thank you, Speaker. It's Edward. I rise to speak on item one. Greetings to you, Speaker, fellow councillors, and residents of Johannesburg. ActionSA stands here today to do what we should have done from the beginning, to reject this adjustment budget without hesitation. Because what is before us is not governance. It is drift, it is delay, and it is a city that is being run without direction. Speaker, let us deal with facts here. This adjustment budget is being brought outside of the expected timeframes for a credible financial planning. That alone raises serious questions about compliance, planning, discipline, and whether this administration is indeed in control of its own processes.

00:59:17At the same time, the city's financial position is decreasing, and it has decreased over the period. The cash reserves are declining sharply. Payables are increasing into billions. Revenue collection remains weak and unresolved. These are not abstract concerns, Speaker. They point to a municipality that is edging towards financial instability. And if Johannesburg reaches a point of financial distress or intervention, the responsibility will sit squarely with the ANC. Over the past few days,

01:00:00is we have listened carefully to the narrative being pushed in the in this very chamber that ActionSA is somehow anti-worker.

01:00:11That claim is not only false,

01:00:14but it is also misleading.

01:00:16Because no political party sitting in this Council today can stand up and point to a record of advancing the dignity of workers in the way that was done under the leadership of the former Mayor Herman Mashaba.

01:00:36When security guards were insourced, it was not...

01:00:38Councillor Edward, can you take your seat? Councillor Raphadu.

01:00:44Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think I'm calling a point of order.

01:00:46Councillor Edward, can you take your seat?

01:00:48I'm calling a point of order, Madam Speaker, because we are being misled in this Council. There's no ActionSA Mayor. There was a DA Mayor called Herman Mashaba. So we must not be misled here by this rhetoric. Thank you very much.

01:01:00Thank you, Councillor Raphadu. Thank you.

01:01:06Councillors, councillors, if you didn't raise your hand, please don't scream.

01:01:12Councillor Edward, can you continue?

01:01:15Thank you so much, Madam Speaker. When security guards were insourced, it was not because it was politically convenient. It was because it was the right thing to do.

01:01:26It was to restore dignity of workers. It ended exploitation of workers and it demonstrated what real leadership looks like.

01:01:36That is why to this day, even those who governed alongside him cannot claim that legacy because it is not

01:01:46It does not come from any political party.emotive

01:01:49It was about leadership.

01:01:55So when the ANC now hides behind workers, when it weaponizes the unions, when it distorts issues like the PFA to restore political to score political points,emotive

01:02:08we must call it out for what it is. It is not concern for workers. It is political survival. Because the reality is the City cannot manage its finances. The City cannot maintain its infrastructure. The City cannot even present a credible budget on time.

01:02:30But we must also address the role of the DA in all of this,emotive

01:02:35because their commentary in this debate is nothing short of hollow.

01:02:39The truth is, Johannesburg does not find itself in this mess by accident. We are here in large part because of the DA, because of their instability,emotive

01:02:51because of their political maneuvering, because of

01:02:57Speaker, please protect me.

01:02:5845 seconds, Councillor. Councillors, can we allow her to speak? Can we allow the councillor to speak? Listen.

01:03:09In 2026, you'll have a choice.

01:03:11You have 40 seconds left.

01:03:12In 2026, you'll have a choice. A choice to remove a government that has failed you. A choice to reject the instability that has brought us here, and a choice to bring leadership that has already demonstrated that it can govern this City with discipline, with accountability and with purpose. Leadership such as the former Mayor Herman Mashaba. ActionSA will not support a budget that reflects chaos, rewards failure, misleads the very same workers it claims to protect. We reject this adjustment budget, and we do so in the interest of the residents of Johannesburg. I thank you.

Item 1 debate: DA opposes the adjustment budget

01:03:49Councillor Santana from the DA. Councillor Santana.

01:04:00Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on Item 1, the Operating Adjustment Budget for the 25/26 financial year.

01:04:09At the outset, it's important to ground this debate firmly with the legislation framework governing municipal finances,

01:04:16particularly the Municipal Finance Management Act, the MFMA and its supporting regulations.

01:04:24Section 28 of the MFMA is the cornerstone provision in governing the municipal's adjustment budget. It allows the municipality to revise and approve annual budget, but only under certain clear defined and legal permissible circumstances.

01:04:43Section 28(2) limits such adjustments to specific situations, including the downward adjustment of revenue and expenditure where there is material under-collection,

01:04:53the appropriation of additional revenues that become available during the financial year,

01:04:58the authorization of unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure as recommended by the Mayor, and also read together with Section 29, the shifting of projected savings between votes,

01:05:10the utilization of unspent funds from previous financial years, commonly referred to as rollovers, and the correction of material errors in the approval of the annual budget.

01:05:22Furthermore, Section 28(4) is explicit:

01:05:26Only the Mayor may table an adjustment budget, and Section 28(6) expressly prohibits any increase in taxes or tariffs during the financial year, except under very limited circumstances.

01:05:37These provisions exist for a reason, to protect municipalities from fiscal instability, political opportunism, and unfunded commitments.

01:05:48Madam Speaker, against this legislation backdrop, we must raise serious concerns regarding the adjustment budget before us today.

01:05:56Firstly,

01:05:58it is deeply concerning that the so-called Political Facilitated Agreement is being introduced at this stage of an adjustment process,

01:06:06without any clarity on the contracted services or existing programs are being reduced, deferred, or cancelled to accommodate it. It requires explicit trade-offs, transparent reprioritization, and clear disclosure to Council and the public. None of this has been adequately demonstrated in the report before us.

01:06:26Again, it's almost politically opportunism.

01:06:33Secondly, there is a complete absence of credible feasibility assessments outlining the full cost of implementing the Political Facilitated Agreement, the time frame over which those costs will materialize, and most importantly, how this expenditure will be funded within the existing financial fiscal envelope.

01:06:53Without such assessments, Council is being asked to endorse expenditure decisions that may well push the City into financial distress. This is not only irresponsible, it's potentially unlawful.

01:07:06Thirdly, Madam Speaker, the adjustment budget fails to meaningfully account for escalating external cost pressures.

01:07:15The ongoing war in Iran has already begun to significantly affect global energy markets. At the time the adjustment budget was compiled, Brent crude oil was trading at approximately $69 per barrel. As of this morning, it stands at approximately $108 per barrel.

01:07:33This has a direct and unavoidable implications for the City's operational costs, particularly fuel-intensive services such as our waste collection, our public transport, our emergency services, and all our fleet-dependent infrastructure operations.

01:07:50Yet, these realities appear to be either underestimated or entirely absent from the financial modeling underpinning this adjustment.

01:07:59Madam Speaker, I'm now going to turn to Section 18 of the MFMA,

01:08:04which is arguably the most important and most crucial safeguard in all municipal financial law.

01:08:10Section 18 requires that a municipality may only approve a budget that is fully funded.

01:08:17In practical terms, this means that an annual budget must be funded from realistic anticipated revenue, such as rates and services, cash-backed accumulated surpluses from previous years, and borrowed funds, but only for capital expenditure, never for operating costs.

01:08:34The implications are clear and non-negotiable. Municipalities may not legally pass unfunded or unrealistic budgets. Revenue projections must be credible and evidence-based, and borrowing may not be used to mask operating deficits.

01:08:50Any Council decision that creates new expenditure without clearly identifying a lawful funding source is, therefore, in direct conflict of Section 18 of the MFMA.

01:09:01This places not only Council, but also the Municipal Manager and the Chief Financial Officer at risk of breaching their statutory duties.

01:09:10Finally, Madam Speaker, we must ask a fundamental question: Why does the report before us fail to include actual year-to-date financial performance extrapolated on the basis of information already available? Instead,

01:09:25Council is being asked to make far-reaching decisions based largely on original budget assumptions, despite having six months of real expenditure and revenue data at our disposal. This undermines informed oversight and weakens Council's ability to exercise its fiduciary responsibility to its residents of the City.

01:09:44Madam Speaker, the Democratic Alliance cannot support an adjustment budget that introduces material new commitments without clear funding, ignores escalating external cost pressures, lacks proper feasibility assessments, and fails to demonstrate compliance with Sections 18 and 28 of the MFMA. Fiscal discipline is not optional. It's a legal obligation, and it's the foundation of sustainable service delivery. I thank you, Madam Speaker.

01:10:11Thank you, Councillor.

Item 1 debate: EFF on the PFA and the Budget Steering Committee

01:10:13MMC Tshwaku.

01:10:20Thank you very much. Greetings to the councillors of the EFF and all the councillors that are here today. Speakers, they thought that they will blackmail the EFF into approving the budget while they are hiding behind their incompetence,emotive

01:10:40thinking that EFF can be bullied and frog-marched into approving issues or things that have not been a proper and thorough consultation.emotive

01:10:53We're not scared to resign. We're not scared to move away and leave everything. But we're not going to be disrespected by the ANC.emotive

01:11:05The workers know the truth. I want to address the workers, the JMPD workers,

01:11:12I want to address the EMS workers, the cleaners, the working class, and all those who are affected by the PFA. The EFF agrees that we must pass the PFA. And even today, it's going to pass.

01:11:32But the problem is that there was a situation where we went into a Budget Steering Committee meeting,claim

01:11:41and we submitted a wish list, this what needs to happen. And we were waiting from the Department of Finance to come back and say, "This you can get, this you can't get." We managed to get a consultation or in terms of what is happening, a day before the Council. No consultation, none whatsoever, from our so-called partners.emotive

01:12:10We've asked them that what is going to happen by the budget overdraft that is there, because we're almost now at R600 million.emotive

01:12:20What is going to happen about? What's going to happen with the positions that are there? What is going to happen by the overtimes and other things, the security of the City? What is going to happen about? What's going to happen about the bylaw enforcement of the City? Instead of that Finance Department coming in and really explain what needs to happen in all of that,emotive

01:12:42there's been no proper, thorough consultation. Monies were taken and moved around as if we're little kids.emotive

01:12:51No consultation, proper one, and we thought that maybe the new MMC, there'll be a breath of fresh air because we sort of had some problems before the other MMCs. But the other MMC, even though we had differences, he was able to approach the situation with humility and respect,emotive

01:13:13even though we did not agree. But the new one wants to frog-march the EFF, wants to bully the EFF, and what they did, they went out there and misinform about the EFF. The EFF is for the workers. We are for the workers and the working class. I will never, we will never let you down. We'll never do that.claimemotive

01:13:35MMC, 40 seconds.emotive

01:13:37Yes, ma'am. We will never let you down.emotive

01:13:41We will always be on your side. We've contributed close to R100 million on PFA. But we had to sort out the bullyism and the arrogance of the ANC, and knowing them that we don't care whether we can go, but EFF will never be disrespected by anyone.emotive

01:13:59We are going to approve today because of our numbers. They thought they had numbers. They thought that they can govern without the EFF. We are going to give you the PFA today, workers of CoJ. We are going to approve it. We are going to give you the R100 million. Take it and all of that. Thank you very much.emotive

01:14:19Thank you, MMC.

Item 1 debate: ANC supports the budget

01:14:23Councillor Radebe from the ANC. Councillor Radebe from the ANC.

01:14:33Councillors, councillors,

01:14:39councillors,

01:14:41we have a councillor on the podium. Councillor Zitha, we have a councillor on the podium.

01:14:49Councillor Radebe.

01:14:53Thank you, Madam Speaker. Greetings to you, the Executive Mayor, the Deputy Executive Mayor, members of the Mayoral Committee,

01:15:06isiZulufellow councillors, residents of Johannesburg, abasebenzi baseJohannesburg, I'd like to greet you.

01:15:14Madam Speaker, a mouthful was said last week when we were debating. Am I protected, Madam Speaker?

01:15:22Councillor Zitha, and I'm not sure, is it Councillor Fatima behind you? Can you guys please,

01:15:30please? Oh, there's Fatima. I'm not sure who the councillor is behind you. No, no, no, there's no debate on it. Councillor, carry on.

01:15:40Thank you, Madam Speaker. A mouthful was said last week. There was a long debate where we made sure we clarify on the issues of why we support the budget. We acknowledged the weaknesses of the budget, including the strengths that come with this budget.

01:15:59And we also indicated that this is an honest budget that is pro-poor. There were a number of issues in terms of the debt and the other matters that are within the budget that the MMC was able to clarify even during her response, indicating that during a Section 79 meeting, we had a turnaround strategy that was given by the Group CFO and the team of how we're going to make sure that we go after that debtors' book and we are able to make sure that the revenue comes in the municipality.

01:16:33But Madam Speaker, to come to this arena and politicize issues that should be more of economic issues, it's a serious problem. We are having political parties, in particular the ActionSA, who believes strongly that this platform should be used as a platform to push politics, rather than tackling issues that are affecting the City of Johannesburg.

01:17:00Madam Speaker, if you look into this budget and you dive deep, one of the things that you'll notice is that one of the problems the City is experiencing, it's expenses that are rising based on employee cost. Councillor Nkonyeni last week kept on saying, "Wage bill, wage bill." Now, if you trace back, where do we get that wage bill? We get that wage bill mainly from the insourcing that was done immaturely, that was done before proper planning, that was done because of political populism. Now, once you do insourcing, you definitely have to make sure that you maintain what you have done.

01:17:41ActionSA brought workers here. Now that workers are here, they are dumping the workers there. And we'll not agree to that, Madam Speaker.

01:17:47Councillor Radebe, can you just take your seat? Councillor Nkonyeni.

01:17:52Councillors,

01:17:57Councillor Radebe, can you take your seat?

01:18:00Councillor Radebe, can you take your seat? Councillor Nkonyeni.

01:18:05Speaker, it's not a point of order. I rise on a point of personal explanation.

01:18:13Speaker, can you protect me? Speaker, I have never said I have never spoken about the wage bill.

01:18:21Councillor, Councillor,

01:18:33Councillors on my right-hand side, councillors on my right.

01:18:42No, councillors, please.

01:18:43Speaker, I don't want to be misquoted in this House.

01:18:46I can't do anything if you don't keep quiet.

01:18:52Councillor Nkonyeni, I thought you're getting up on a point of order. I cannot accept that one. Thank you, Councillor. Please be seated.

01:19:02Please be seated, and can the noise stop here, please? Councillor Radebe, you can carry on.

01:19:11Thank you, Madam Speaker. So, Madam Speaker, because as the ANC, we don't do things so that we become politically popular, we do things because we genuinely believe in them. When we said we were with the workers, we were genuinely saying that. When they did the insourcing, they did the insourcing so that they become popular. Or when they keep on talking about the insourcing that was done by the Mayor of the DA, by the way, they keep on claiming that so that they continue to be popular. But we are saying workers must know that ActionSA has abandoned them. ActionSA was never for them even from the beginning. They never cared about the workers. This budget, Madam Speaker, is to make sure that the workers that are in the frontline, our workers at Joburg Water, City Power, and all the entities and the departments within the municipality, get dignified remuneration. They get dignified salaries. And, Madam Speaker, it's a pity that the MMC of Public Safety, MMC Tshwaku, feels that there was bullying that happened in the process.

01:20:14Madam Speaker, we strongly believe, as the ANC, that if you are a political party or an organization that strongly believes in the politics of the left, at no point you should be convinced about believing and supporting what the workers want. At no point someone should stand up and say, "EFF, vote for the workers." But, Madam Speaker, we highly appreciate the support that will be coming through from the EFF. But we strongly believe that the Economic Freedom Fighters, as our partners in the Council and also here,

01:20:50they should have made sure that they vote for the workers. They believe that the workers are with them,

01:21:00but unfortunately, the rejection came. Madam Speaker, as the ANC, we fully support the budget. We know it has shortcomings, we know it has weaknesses,

01:21:11but we know the turnaround strategy, and we know that slowly, but surely, we are turning the corner. As the African National Congress, we support the budget. Thank you.

01:21:20Thank you, Councillor Radebe.

Item 1: MMC Finance responds

01:21:26MMC of Finance,

01:21:31MMC Masuku.

01:21:35Thank you, colleagues.

01:21:36Thank you very much, Speaker. A good morning to you, the Executive Mayor, the Whip of Council, Chair of Chairs, all the Chairpersons and the Whips, a good morning.

01:21:53Madam Speaker, my well-wishes to everyone on Human Rights Day, which we'll be celebrating. And my responses will start on Chairperson Cook. My response remains the same as last week. Section 79, Madam Speaker, does not have the power to discuss and approve a budget. That response still remains the same.

01:22:21Thank you to Councillor Steenkamp, Councillor Harris, Councillor Mhlongo. All your remarks and its support is noted. Through you, Madam Speaker, I agree 100% with Councillor Edward. 100%, she is correct, Speaker, that indeed that under the DA Herman Mashaba mayorship, many challenges were brought to the City, and many gains of democracy were actually reversed under that particular DA Mashaba leadership. As far as I know, Mashaba was never a Mayor of ActionSA, unless we were in a different Council. He was a DA Mayor. But now, because Mashaba is a leader of ActionSA, it means everything he did wrong in the DA, he's going to do wrong also in ActionSA.

01:23:18Speaker, it is the DA Herman Mashaba that actually took away progressive programs like Jozi@Work, the bread-baking projects in our communities, money that was allocated to the Orange Farm and Ivory Park turnkey projects. It is the DA Mashaba government that reversed all of that and called them vanity projects. Speaker, it is the ANC, as Councillor Radebe has correctly put it, that is normalizing the fact that now that we've got employees, be it cleaners, security, JMPD, we've got these employees who are insourced without a benchmarking program that was done on the finances. We are normalizing.

01:24:08Councillor Radebe, where he is correct is that we appreciate the support that is now coming from even the Economic Freedom Fighters to appreciate that we have to normalize because this money is about the well-being of workers. It is about ensuring that they get the dignity that they deserve. We appreciate the support from the Patriotic Alliance, the MGP, the JPC, the IFP, the EFF, as well as the ACDP for all the support that they've indicated in this Council. Speaker, I do want to address the matter that was raised, although I didn't like how Councillor Tshwaku raised it earlier on before his speech. I have indicated that I've raised this with the SAMWU leadership now while we're here, and I think it's important that if an incident like that happened, it must be attended to. Chairperson Mogapi is a woman, a young woman, for that fact. So if, as councillors, you are going to be attacked by employees of the City, we must be the ones who address it, and we must call it out. And sorry about that, Chairperson Mogapi. There was never any malice intended. We're in a House of political debate. We're in a House of political speech, and we must never allow people on the outside to use political speech and political debate as if it is an instigation against anybody.

01:25:35We must be tolerant of conversations in the political space. Lastly, Speaker, I have no issues with any concerns that are raised, but I do take exception on how Councillor Tshwaku addressed it, pointing his fingers at me, raising his hands. It did not Speaker, please protect me.

01:25:55Colleagues, colleagues, we allowed everybody. The MMC is replying. Can we listen?

01:26:02I respect him as my colleague. I respect the councillor as my colleague. We're in the same Mayoral Committee. We work well together. But the same way I have been able to articulate how concerned I am about what happened to Chairperson Mogapi, it can't be that in this chamber we address each other in that way. But I chose not to respond, just to say on the record, let's raise concerns properly, let's speak to each other, especially because we are colleagues. Even matters of

01:26:3210 seconds.

01:26:33Even matters of concerns in the Budget Steering Committee, I don't think they belong to Council because Budget Steering Committee is a process of MMCs. It's an internal process, not for the public. I thank you, Speaker.

01:26:45Thank you, MMC.

Item 1: vote on the Operating Adjustment Budget

01:26:49Colleagues, we have now come to the recommendations. The recommendations are on pages 1.22. Is the item agreed to?

01:27:10Colleagues,

01:27:17colleagues, colleagues, the recommendations are on page 1.22. Is the item agreed to?

01:27:35Okay, okay, it's a budget item, so I'll start with those that abstain. Can I see those that abstain?

01:27:51Colleagues, Legal, hold on, hold on, hold on. We are ringing the bell.

01:28:03MMC, MMC, don't leave. We are ringing the bell for one and a half minutes so that we can start voting. I really don't know why we move out of the chamber. Councillor Smit.

01:28:23Thank you, Madam Speaker. It appears that there is an official, the Deputy Director of Petitions, in the chamber. And so I think that is not allowed. Thank you.

01:28:36Deputy Director of Petitions, are you in the chamber? If you are in the chamber, please leave the chamber. But I also don't want us, like the last time, Councillor Niemand thought that the official was the IEC and asked me why is the IEC sitting here. So if that official is there, Frans, get the official to get out.

01:29:00I'm not sure who's the official. Is he out? Oh, he's out.

01:29:08It's part of our support staff. Thank you. Can we ring the bell?

01:29:38Councillor Zitha.

01:29:44Councillor Zitha, how can you show someone else in the chamber that you're going to beat that person? No, Councillor Zitha.

01:29:54Chief Whip, Councillor Mogapi, please deal with Councillor Zitha. Thank you.

01:30:00Speaker, don't forget Councillor Zitha, Speaker, please. I know what I saw. They are playing, Speaker, please, Speaker.

01:30:07My seat doesn't have a problem with that. Please. Don't forget our [inaudible].

01:30:38I assume we are all inside the chamber. We'll start counting. We start with those that abstain.

01:30:54There's no hands. Can we then have those, the no's. Can we see the no's?

01:32:07Can you get me a sandwich and something to eat?

01:32:14isiZulu[singing]

01:32:41Councillor Seerane, please switch off your mic. You may drop your hands.

01:32:51Can you may drop your hands. Can I have those who say yes? All the yeses, can you raise your hands?

01:34:41You may drop your hands and we're asking just few minutes to consolidate.

01:35:20isiZulu[singing] Sisebenzela amabhunu.

01:35:45isiZulu[singing] Asisebenzi masangane, kudala sisebenzela amabhunu. Asisebenzi masangane.

01:36:22Thank you, councillors. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Can I said thank you. I said thank you.

01:36:42Those who abstained, zero. Those who said no, 102 and those who said yes, 139. The item is carried.

01:36:58isiZulu[singing]

01:37:08Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

01:37:16isiZulu[singing]

01:37:34Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Niemand.

01:37:41Councillor Niemand.

01:37:43Yes, thank you Speaker. Please note the DA's opposition to this item and we strongly reserve our rights. Thanks.

01:37:50Thank you, Councillor Niemand. Councillor, you on the phone in the chamber.

01:38:01Can we go to the next item? STC.

Item 2 debate: Capital Adjustment Budget (PA, GOOD, ACDP, AIC)

01:38:04Councillors, we proceed with item two and that is the Capital Adjustment Budget for the 2025/26 financial year.

01:38:12Can I call Councillor M. Smouse from the Patriotic Alliance.

01:38:23Greetings in that wonderful name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Greetings, Madam Speaker, Executive 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 residents of the City of Johannesburg. I rise to speak on item two. The Patriotic Alliance notes this report with deep concern. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

01:38:52Thank you, Councillor Smouse. Councillor Cook from GOOD.

01:39:08Good day, Madam Speaker. Speaker, I rise today on

01:39:13Just hold on, Councillor.

01:39:15AfrikaansWaarnatoe gaan ons alweer? Councillor Bittkau, waarnatoe gaan ons?

01:39:22Thank you, Councillor.

01:39:26Thank you, Speaker. I hope my time has been reset. Speaker, I rise today on item two, the Capital Adjustment Budget. The Capital Adjustment Budget before us today raises important questions not only about numbers, but also about governance and delivery. Firstly, this budget should never have required intervention from the MEC for Finance. Council failed to adopt the adjustment budget previously because insufficient time was given for councillors to properly consider it.

01:39:57This is not a small administrative error. It reflects poor planning in one of the most important responsibilities of this council, the management of the city's finances. Speaker, the adjustment capital budget reduces the city's infrastructure investment from 8.7 billion to 8.4 billion. In a city facing severe infrastructure backlogs, this reduction requires careful scrutiny. More concerning is the reduction of 725 million in loan funding for infrastructure.

01:40:28This suggests that projects are not moving at the pace originally planned, and when we read through the report, the reason becomes clear that across many departments, projects are being reduced due to mid-year performance challenges. In other words, the city is not implementing its capital program as effectively as it should. Speaker, in the energy sector, we see major reductions in key projects. Funding for statistical meters has been reduced by 105 million.

01:40:56Upgrades to critical substations such as Eikenhof and Hopefield have been reduced. At a time when Johannesburg faces electricity network strain, delaying these investments can have long-term consequences. Speaker, the same concerns applies to water infrastructure. Funding reductions affect important projects such as the Woodmead reservoir and several water main replacement programs. Residents across Johannesburg are already experiencing water outages

01:41:25and infrastructure failures. Infrastructure investment should be accelerating, not slowing down. Speaker, there are also reductions in housing and informal settlement projects, including funding cuts to the formalization of informal settlements. In a city facing a severe housing backlog, these delays directly affect the most vulnerable residents of our city. Speaker, the core issue here is not simply the size of the capital budget. It is the city's ability to implement the infrastructure projects

01:41:55it has planned. If projects are repeatedly adjusted downward because of performance issues, then the city must confront the institutional problems that prevent the effective delivery. In closing, Speaker, Johannesburg residents deserve a municipality that can plan, budget, and implement infrastructure projects effectively. Good governance requires not only approving budgets, but also ensuring that those budgets translate into real improvements for people's lives. Thank you, Speaker.

01:42:24Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Rohlssen from the ACDP.

01:42:30Uh thank you very much uh Madam Speaker. Greetings to you all in the name that is above all names, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Greetings to you Madam Speaker, uh Executive Mayor, all protocols observed. Uh just to assist the Deputy Mayor, the Honorable Masuku, uh the Heritage Day is on the 24th of September. Human Rights Day is on the 21st.claim

01:43:00I thank you. God bless you all. God bless the Sovereign State of Israel. Amen. God bless you.

01:43:06Thank you, Councillor. Councillor T. Mhlongo from the AIC.

01:43:16Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Greetings to all councillors in the chamber once more. Madam Speaker, I rise to debate, Madam Speaker, on the Capital Adjustment Budget for the 2025/2026 financial year. Madam Speaker, as the African Independent Congress, we must also acknowledge that the city continues to operate under financial pressures. This requires disciplined spending,

01:43:45careful prioritization, and improved project management. Every rand allocated in the capital budget must deliver maximum value for the residents. Speaker, the AIC supports this adjusted capital budget because it allows the city to refine its allocation based on performance and operational realities during the financial year. It provides an opportunity to redirect resources to projects that are progressing well and address bottlenecks where spending has lagged behind.

01:44:17However, our support must be understood as a support with responsibility. We expect departments and entities to ensure that the approved capital projects translate into tangible development on the ground. In conclusion, Madam Speaker, the African Independent Congress supports item two because we recognize the importance of sustained capital investment in building a resilient, functional, and inclusive Johannesburg. Our residents deserve infrastructure that works,

01:44:47services that are reliable, and development that reaches every corner of the city. Therefore, we support and note the report. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Item 2 debate: ActionSA and DA

01:44:56Thank you, Councillor Mhlongo. Councillor Nkonyeni from ActionSA.

01:45:08isiZuluNgibingelele kuwena Somlomo.

01:45:12Uh greetings to fellow councillors and the residents of Johannesburg. Speaker, it is shameful that the PFA, which in principle was supposed to address the salary gaps and standardize remuneration across municipal entities while restoring dignity to the workers, is today being used as a blackmailing tool and a campaigning tool for the ANC or a de-campaigning tool for ActionSA.emotive

01:45:39Speaker, this is the last kick of a dying horse.emotive

01:45:42isiZuluAbekho abantu abathanda uMashaba njengama-security nama-cleaner.emotive

01:45:48Because for the first time, through insourcing, he made sure that they mattered. They finally mattered. Now, you can call it political grandstanding and campaigning for votes, Councillor Radebe.emotive

01:46:00isiZuluNingawubanga umsindo niye nasemaphepheni nigijime nezintatheli, asinamsebenzi nalokho thina. Okusalayo sithiemotive

01:46:08the residents of Johannesburg are not stupid. They will punish this uncaring ANC government, just as they did in previous elections. So, to the residents of Johannesburg, I say the time has come to removeemotive

01:46:21isiZuluizigebengu namasela.emotive

01:46:23This year is the local government election. Do not accept one loaf, reject the promises, chase them out of your yards, tell them that they had 30 years, but Tintswalo is still unemployed and relying on 350. This is not a good story to tell. Remember the potholes, remember the water shortages, remember the power outages, the incorrect billing, the children that have died after eating ama-snacks from abo-my friend. Remember the crime and lawlessness because that is exactlyemotive

01:46:53what you will be voting for if you vote for an ANC government.emotive

01:46:56isiZuluNgibonge, Speaker.emotive

01:47:00Councillor Santana from the DA.

01:47:05Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to speak on the Capital Adjustment Budget for the 25/26 financial year. Madam Speaker, the capital budget highlights the financial strain with which Joburg finds itself. The fact that we are slowing down capital projects on the ground is indicative of the fact that we have cash flow issues within the city. And it saddens me because I have three projects in my ward that I do not see any progress on. And it's purely because we have no money to pay the contractors on the ground, or we delay payment to the contractors on the ground.

01:47:35And then we have labor dispute issues around rates, the labor rates. And I'm perplexed by the fact that we continuously go down this road of not prioritizing our projects, securing the finance and the cash for our projects to ensure that service delivery is delivered to our residents. Madam Speaker, it's also an opportunity missed by the administration to increase Joburg Water's infrastructure allocation

01:48:04and ensure that Joburg Water infrastructure allocation takes priority, and I'm referring to my Woodmead Reservoir because it's in my ward. And Madam Speaker, it's frustrating because I don't see any will from the political side of the ANC to drive and ensure that our CAPEX is actually prioritized. And I don't know how we're going to address this matter because we'd rather go spend money on frivolous increases

01:48:33or correcting certain issues that at this point in time the city cannot afford instead of trying to offer service delivery where our residents are boycotting, not necessarily boycotting, but marching against the city for services of water to their homes. But we will not prioritize that. We will prioritize other issues that are not necessarily relevant at this time and at the juncture of where the city finds itself. Madam Speaker, the Democratic Alliance does not support the CAPEX budget. I thank you.

Item 2 debate: EFF

01:49:01Thank you, Councillor Santana. MMC Tshwaku from EFF. MMC.

01:49:08Thank you very much, Speaker. I'm going to give it to Councillor Zitha

01:49:13isiZuluathi dlaphu dlaphu, a-addresse abasebenzi.

01:49:19Councillor Zitha, you may take the mic.

01:49:23Thank you very much, Speaker. Greetings to the residents of the City of Johannesburg, especially the workers of the City of Johannesburg. Speaker, I also want to clarify what was said last week regarding the EFF not caring about the workers. Just want to remind through you, Speaker, the MMC or the Deputy Mayor that it's the EFF that actually fought for the insourcing of cleaners and security guards for this city.claim

01:49:54It is the EFF that fought for a three-system allowance for the JMPD workers. So, we can't be told, Speaker, by MMC how we must care for the workers because we already care for the workers. So, that's what I want to clarify. And also, Speaker, the EFF tomorrow is having a voter registration launch. So, we are appealing to the residents of the City of Johannesburg that come and form part of that launch.claim

01:50:25So, Speaker, I rise on item number two. That's item number two. Just a minute.claim

01:50:44You have 2 minutes left.claim

01:50:46Apologies about that. That thing of the President was jumping, it was also jumping on my side. So, item number two, Speaker. This item deals with adjustment of the city's capital budget for the 2025/2026 financial year, which was originally approved at 8.7 billion. The report now proposes that the capital budget be reduced by 276 million, bringing it down to 8.4 billion.

01:51:15For a resident of Johannesburg, this is not just a technical financial adjustment. A capital budget is the money used to build infrastructure, repair services, expand housing, and improve the daily lives of the residents. When the capital budget goes down, it means less investment in infrastructure and services for our people. So, Speaker, the EFF has always maintained that budgets are political documents. They show where government priorities truly lie. And when we analyze this adjustment budget carefully,

01:51:46it raises serious questions about whether the city is truly prioritizing housing, infrastructure maintenance, electricity reliability, and service delivery for the working class. Johannesburg residents are already dealing with water shortages, collapsing roads, unreliable electricity, and slow housing delivery, sorry. At a time like this, what residents expect from this council is more investment in infrastructure, not less. So, the EFF believes that the city must strengthen its capital investment program

01:52:18and ensure that public resources are directed toward real investment in the lives of our people, especially those living in townships, informal settlements, and neglected communities. Because ultimately, Speaker, the success of this budget will not be judged by financial tables in this report. It will be judged by whether the people of Johannesburg experience the real improvement in their lives. Thank you so much.

01:52:4040. Oh, thank you, Councillor.

Item 2 debate: ANC supports the capital budget

01:52:46Councillor Radebe from the ANC.

01:52:51Thank you, Madam Speaker. Greetings, all protocol observed. Madam Speaker, when we look into the capital budget as the ANC, we fully support it, though there are major changes, particularly on our projected loans and the cash reserves. We were a bit concerned, but it is better, Madam Speaker, to come and present a budget that is truthful, rather than coming here and say we will be able to do certain projectsclaim

01:53:21and come the financial year and we are not able to do those particular projects. So, the adjustment in those cash and loans is precisely because we've reviewed some of the projects. We can see there's no progress on those particular projects, and we would be lying to the people of Johannesburg if we are saying those projects will progress and those particular projects will be funded. Councillor Santana always says that we must present a budget that is funded.

01:53:54And I think those adjustments are precisely to ensure that the budget is fully funded. But another thing that was done brilliantly in this budget, we're able to tap into the grants from the National Treasury. I think 449 million will be then coming through, supporting our infrastructure development. Most of this money will be ensuring that we go into these emergency

01:54:25projects, making sure our electricity infrastructure is fine, our water infrastructure is fine, so that we've got a city that is functioning, a city that is growing. Madam Speaker, it's a pity that Councillor Nkonyeni believes that they should continue doing grandstanding. It's very sad to see a political party that idolizes and worships an individual. That simply tells you that without that particular individual,

01:54:58there's no political party. But this very same political party that idolizes and praises an individual also had MMCs that were in deep scandals of whiskeys. I'll not even go there when Councillor Mbundu was there. Currently, as we speak,

01:55:15Councillor Radebe, there's a hand at the back. I can't see you and I can't see your name. Mposula. Colleagues. Yes, Councillor.

01:55:30Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm rising

01:55:32Point of order, neh?

01:55:33Yes, I'm rising on a point of order. Councillor Radebe must not mislead the house. And what I want to tell him is that if you are staying in a glass house, don't throw the stones.

01:55:41I asked for a point of order. Councillor Radebe, continue.

01:55:50isiZuluNo, thank you. Awu makhelwane.

01:55:54But Madam Speaker, it's very disturbing. I know the councillor there is saying if you live in a glass house, you must not come here and throw stones, but we see what's happening in Tshwane. An MMC that is involved with cartels that is collapsing the City of Tshwane. It's very embarrassing what ActionSA is doing there. Madam Speaker, as the African National Congress, we support the budget.

01:56:19Colleagues, colleagues, colleagues.

01:56:21isiZuluAwumazanga, awumazanga, uyedwa, awumazanga.

01:56:27Colleagues, no. No, no, no, no, no. No, no. It's a big no. It's a big no. It's a big no, but also the councillors that are walking in, councillors, no. Councillor Radebe, can you continue?

01:56:49Councillors, let's not be disruptive. Councillor Radebe, can you continue?

01:56:55No, thank you, Madam Speaker. I was concluding. As the African National Congress, we strongly believe in this capital budget. We believe it's the best that could have been done by the Budget Steering Committee, and we are sure that this budget will support the development and growth of the City of Johannesburg. Thank you.

Item 2: MMC Finance responds

01:57:12Thank you, Councillor Radebe. MMC Masuku.

01:57:18Thank you, Madam Speaker. Greetings once again to the Executive Mayor, your good self, Chief Whip of Council, Chairpersons, fellow MMCs, and all councillors. Thank you so much, Councillor Rohlssen. Indeed, human rights, very important. The rights for women, for women to have equal pay, equal opportunities, for women to have safety, their rights for safety against the scourge of gender-based violence,

01:57:49the rights of workers for workers to get the remuneration that they deserve, the rights of all citizens to make sure that they get the services that councillors spoke about and conclusion by Councillor Radebe. I do want to affirm and assure our councillors, Speaker, that we have made all the necessary safeguards in terms of ensuring that this budget is funded and we have considered all angles.

01:58:20And secondly, because we are a responsible government, we did not just do this on our own in terms of just calling this meeting. We do have permission in line with Section 27(2) of the Municipal Finance Management Act, which empowers the MEC, and we do have that in writing. So, this meeting is a duly constituted meeting in line with those prescripts. I do want to apologize, Councillor Cook. I think through you, Speaker,

01:58:50he raised a valid point in terms of the shortness of the period in the original meeting where the reports came. I think it's a fair criticism. That is why then the reports would not have concluded because we took that into consideration. And I think the point about infrastructure projects, and also Councillor Radebe also raises it, our priority is also there because that's what we want. We want the city to function.

01:59:20That is why we focused on a capital investment program, making sure that we work with different institutions to make sure that we raise the necessary money. I think you will have seen the Executive Mayor and the different inter-ministerial teams and the progress we are making in terms of the reservoirs, starting with Midrand, Brixton, and all these reservoirs are a priority because then they will ensure that water is provided.

01:59:51Security of water is one of the most important priorities because water is a basic human right. So, we take that, Councillor Santana.claim

02:00:00as an important point that we are raising for all citizens of Johannesburg, that is why that priority in terms of ensuring that we deal with the reservoirs is top priority. I just want to correct um the the only reduction that was made on the loan funding was due to the Metro Trading Reform grant that we're coming into the city. So, then the city will then uh move um the loan component to the next financial year.claim

02:00:26um on the basis that the budget uh only reduced by 270 million from the KfW loan. So, for the city, I mean, we we that money um So, I'm correcting the assertion that there seems to be a perception that there's more money moved. No, it's 270 million from KfW loan uh which will be moved to the next uh financial year as agreed with KfW. So, it's not a unilateral decision that we have taken.claim

02:00:55The point uh through you speaker I think Councillor Zitha is correct. Already has indicated development, growth, capital investment, infrastructure project ensuring that we have the appropriate uh balance sheet, deal with our debtors book, and I think we've spoken over and over about that even in the section 79. As I before I sit down speaker, I do want to say that um

02:01:22I think Councillor Zitha is addressing the wrong uh person. The issues between uh them and ActionSA must be addressed with them because we didn't make any claims. So I think Councillor Zitha must go to ActionSA or ActionSA must go cuz we don't know who's who now. Everybody is claiming what they're claiming. What we can claim as the African National Congress government which is uh leading an a a a GLU government in the city of Johannesburg

02:01:51we can claim that we have worked on the PFA. The other issues that they are contesting amongst each other, I think they must deal with them party to party. Mashaba to Mashaba, DA, ActionSA, EFF,

02:02:05isiZuluyona yonke zonke kuhlangane.

02:02:07We ask council to approve the budget.

02:02:10Thank you.

Item 2: vote on the Capital Adjustment Budget

02:02:13Colleagues, recommendations.

02:02:29Are we done? Colleagues, recommendations are on 2.18, is the item agreed to?

02:02:44Recommendations on page 2.18 is the item agreed to?

02:02:56Okay, we'll start with those that abstain. I hope that everybody's in. So, if they abstain we don't miscount them. Those who abstain, no one? Can we then go to those that say no?

02:03:26Councillors? Councillor Boer is not here.

02:04:23SesothoMpho.

02:04:27Speaker, you are looking beautiful today, speaker.

02:04:32Thank you so much. I'm not sure where it's coming from.

02:04:36SesothoWa jola.

02:04:54You are allowed to drop your hands.

02:05:08Can I

02:05:16Those that say yes.

02:05:24Please.

02:05:30isiZuluUmsebenzi uyanyamezela, umsebenzi uyanyamezela noma kunzima noma kubuhlungu umsebenzi uyanyamezela, noma kunzima noma kubuhlungu umsebenzi uyanyamezela. Hhayi, hhayi, hhayi!

02:06:03isiZuluUmsebenzi uyanyamezela, umsebenzi uyanyamezela noma kunzima noma kubuhlungu umsebenzi uyanyamezela noma kunzima, uyanyamezela i-fighter

02:06:30isiZuluLiyanyamezela noma kunzima noma kubuhlungu i-fighter liyanyamezela, amandla! Liyanyamezela i-fighter liyanyame... Hha yoyo yo! Hho yoyo yo! Hho yoyo yo!

02:07:00isiZuluHho yoyo yo! Hhayi, hhayi, hhayi!

02:07:04Take away that mic, take away that mic,

02:07:06Sesothola re rasela.

02:07:08isiZuluLiyanyamezela i-fighter liyanyamezela i-fighter liyanyame... Hho yoyo yo! Hho yoyo yo! Hhayi, hhayi, hhayi!

02:08:07Can they lower their hands? You may lower your hands. You may lower your hands.

02:09:09Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

02:09:16isiZuluKhansela imbangi ziba-excited.

02:09:23Thank you so much. There was no one that abstained. Those that said no is 102 and those who said yes is 139. The item is carried. Thank you so much. Councillor Niemand.

02:09:43Yes. Thank you Speaker. Um, please record DA's opposition to the item and we reserve our rights. Thank you.

02:09:49Thank you Councillor Niemand. Colleagues! Colleagues! Right, STC next item.

Item 3 debate: SDBIP mid-year review (GOOD, ACDP)

02:09:59Councillors, we're on item 3 and that is the 2025/26 midyear review of the institutional service delivery and budget implementation plan, the departmental and municipal entities business plans.

02:10:16Thank you so much. Councillors, the first speaker is Councillor Cook from GOOD.

02:10:24Thank you, Madam Speaker. Speaker, the service delivery and budget implementation plan is not simply an administrative document. It is the contract between this city and the residents we serve. It translates our plans, our promises and our budget into measurable commitments and that is precisely why the midyear review before us today deserves careful scrutiny. Because what this report effectively does is revise many of those commitments halfway through the year.claim

02:10:55Speaker, there are over 160 proposed changes to performance indicators and targets across departments and municipal entities, 160 proposed changes. That is an extraordinary amount of uh revisions which raises an important question. Were the targets unrealistic to begin with or is the city struggling to deliver on what it promised its residents? Speaker, one of the most concerning changes relates to repairs and maintenance.claim

02:11:25The city originally set a target spending of 8% of the value of its infrastructure assets on maintenance. The target is now being reduced down to 7%. But the city's actual performance at midyear stands at 2.2%. In a city facing collapsed infrastructure, we uh water leaks, potholes and electricity network failures, reducing the maintenance ambition I think sends the wrong message. Speaker, we also see troubling signals in housing and electrification programs.claim

02:11:56Targets for housing connections are being revised because of contractor payment challenges. Let me put that into different words. Projects are being delayed because contractors are not being paid. Furthermore, the report admits that some electrification projects cannot proceed because the business plan did not allocate the required funding in the first place. Speaker, there are also worrying changes in performance monitoring itself. For example, the KPI measuring daily passenger ridershipclaim

02:12:27on the Rea Vaya BRT system has been removed from the institutional SDBIP. Residents deserve to know why that performance measure is being removed rather than reported on. Speaker, GOOD understands that adjusting targets may sometimes be necessary, but when we see the scale of revisions across the city's performance framework, it raises a deeper concern about planning, implementation and institutional capacity. In closing, the purpose of performance management is not to make targets easier to achieve.

02:12:58It is to ensure that the city improves its delivery to residents. Johannesburg deserves a municipality that sets ambitious targets, but we must deliver on them, not adjust them midyear.

02:13:11Thank you so much, Councillor. The next councillor is ACDP, Councillor Harris.

02:13:24Uh through you, Madam Speaker, I am pleading with our visitors from Mangaung. Please don't benchmark the out-of-tune singing. Madam Speaker, we run the risk of the institutional service delivery and budget implementation plan merely being an inspirational document, an aspirational document. There is mention of artificial intelligence, leak detection, but to date, we are still to see the evidence of this especially when residents are raising disputes

02:13:56relating to water leaks. The city is going to be found wanting with regard to the living condition of conditions of senior citizens living in retirement villages. Between the Social Development Department and the Housing uh Department there's a severe gap when it comes to the um the conditions of the senior citizens residents. As far as the EPWP uh program is concerned,claim

02:14:26we have great cause for concern considering that this budget has been reduced drastically. The reason given is that the pay increases has been uh taken to 350 rand per day uh from the 220 rand per day. Also, the EPWP incentive grant was reduced. In light of unemployment levels being at pandemic proportions, the ACDP believes that it is highly insensitive to minimize this initiative as it contributes to heightened service deliveryclaim

02:14:58as well as reducing unemployment to a degree. 400 bad buildings are identified, only 10 are earmarked for disposal or sale. This is a sign that the city is not too interested in implementing bylaws uh we and rooting out the cancer of bad buildings. Daniel Flats is earmarked for rehabilitation once again for the third year in a row. We are delighted with the funds allocated to Hexrivier, Sallowri Court and Outeniqua. However, there is no plan for the residents living in garagesclaim

02:15:30with no water or ablution facilities. Hopefully, the rebuilding of the Union Stadium and the adoption of a Westbury precinct development plan will find expression in the next iteration of the IDP. Madam Speaker, in the interest of continuity and service delivery with no expectation of any reward, the ACDP notes and supports this item. I thank you.

Item 3 debate: PA on loans and the Transport budget

02:15:52Thank you so much, Councillor Harris. Councillor K. Pitso from the Patriotic Alliance.

02:16:02Greetings to the Lord Jesus Christ, our wonderful counselor. Special salutations to the residents and the councillors of the fastest growing political party, the Patriotic Alliance under the effective stewardship of MMC Kunene and all protocol observed. I rise to speak on item three. Madam Speaker, the report shows that our city is predominantly reliant on loans. Loans fund a whopping 33% of the city's capital budget. Madam Speaker, this is alarming and unhealthy. In these chambers I've heard councillors complimenting that we are paying our loans well,claim

02:16:33which means that we can keep making more loans. But Madam Speaker, loans have interest and that's what worries me. These loans help with upgrading critical infrastructure, but their financial implications cannot be overlooked. These loans are the ones putting pressure on our annual budgets. Therefore, the funding model of loans must be reviewed. This aggressive reliance on loans is brewing a disastrous recipe for the future of the city and through you Speaker. Executive Mayor Dada Morero, are you the mayor who will free this city from the reliance of loans or should the city wait for another mayor in the next term?claim

02:17:06Speaker, it is clear that MMC Kunene is doing his part to bring an integrated initiative called Operation Restore in which which is a visionary operation that integrates all resources and officials from the Transport Department, from all regions of Johannesburg to focus restoration efforts in two wards per week across the city. This operation was born as a mitigation tactic due to issues like budget cuts. in the Transport Department. We have seen the capacity and the politicalclaim

02:17:40will from the MMC, but the Executive Mayor is forever limiting the MMC's political power of exercising his will by subjecting MMC with perpetual annual budget cuts. Speaker.

02:17:50Councillor Pitso, just hold on. Colleagues, we can't hear him.

02:17:55Can you please protect me, Speaker?

02:17:57That's what I'm doing.

02:17:58Thank you.

02:17:58Can you can you switch off your mic? Colleagues, can we stop that please? We can't hear him. Councillor Pitso, can you go?

02:18:09Thank you, Speaker. The GLU is a marriage and this marriage must be fixed even with criticism. I've seen some councillors in these chambers trying to discriminate MMC Kunene saying that he has not done this and that in their wards. But the Executive Mayor is the one who has given birth to their problems, not MMC. Why is MMC's budget being deliberately cut?

02:18:33Colleagues. He's speaking. Carry on, Councillor Pitso. Unless you have a point of order, let me see the hands. No, it's fine, you can go.

02:18:48Thank you, Speaker.

02:18:49You have 49 seconds left.emotive

02:18:51Why is MMC's budget being cut deliberately and then he's been he has to take the blame?

02:19:0335 seconds.

02:19:08Anywho, MMC Kunene, the residents have seen your work as the interim mayor and as the MMC. You have done the unprecedented since 2023 with Operation Restore despite annual budget cuts. We believe that the residents will stand with you as you take this city as Executive Mayor come 2026 LGE. As the Patriotic Alliance, we note this item. Thank you.emotive

Item 3 debate: ActionSA and DA

02:19:28Thank you, Councillor Pitso. Councillor Aphane from ActionSA.

02:19:46Councillor Aphane.

02:19:49Uh thank you, Speaker. Um greetings to you, colleagues, members of public, uh all protocol observed.

02:19:59Uh There's a councillor on the right here somewhere at the back there, please.

02:20:05Greetings to you.

02:20:06You can carry on.

02:20:07Greetings to you all. I rise on item three. Um the 2025/26 midyear review of the institutional service delivery and budget implementation plan. There are repeated findings of the Auditor General for the unauthorized and wasteful expenditure and there is no consequence management from the city on the implicated entities. Madam Speaker, it is concerning that some entities are underperforming year in, year out.

02:20:38They've actually become uh a liability to the city. The question is how do other municipalities like Tshwane get them right? The answer in the City of Johannesburg is to change leadership. Instead of replacing the underperforming mayor, we play politics by creating the unbudgeted position of Executive Deputy Mayor. The beneficiaries tell the outsourced cleaners

02:21:08SesothoAo thule wena maan. Ao thule maan.

02:21:11Councillor Aphane, direct to me. Colleagues, can we stop this please? Councillor Aphane, carry on.

02:21:27Councillor Aphane, can you carry on? Your seconds are going.

02:21:29The beneficiaries the beneficiaries tell the outsourced cleaners and security guards that their positions were not budgeted for. How ironic. The city is falling apart and the elephant is in the room. There is a concern that this report does not yet inspire confidence uh in accountability. As a result of failures of some entities, there is frustration from residents about poor service delivery including infrastructure failures and ineffective execution of core municipal services.

02:22:01For example, water, roads, electricity, waste. Waste bins, we see them lying all over the streets week in, week out without being collected, causing health hazard in the resident to the residents. There is widespread public criticism over high salaries of municipal entity executives relative to performance. High levels of unauthorized, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure remain significant concern. Residents continue to express frustrations with

02:22:30billing errors, poor customer service and perceived bureaucratic influence when dealing with municipal accounts or service complaints. ActionSA positions service delivery at the core function of the local government, treating residents as customers whose needs must be met with reliable services. ActionSA approves this report with reservations. Thank you.

02:22:55Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Kyle Jacobs from the DA.

02:23:07And your colleagues are running in and you have to speak.

02:23:17You can start. Your minutes are starting, has started I mean.

02:23:20Thank you. Speaker, the midyear review of the service delivery budget implementation plan report read together with the adjustment budget reveal the true state of the city's finances and its ability to deliver services to residents. Instead of correcting course, the city continues to operate under severe financial strain with poor planning, unrealistic targets forcing the administration to scale back on service delivery targets.

02:23:51One of the most worrying issues is the continued underfunding of infrastructure maintenance. The city is reducing its repairs and maintenance target from 8% of property, plant and equipment to just 7.1 because the budget cannot sustain the recommended level of maintenance spending. However, they won't even meet this revised target. This is not just a minor technical adjustment, it is an admission that the city does not have the financial capacity to properly maintain its own infrastructure.claim

02:24:22Delaying maintenance today simply guarantees far more expensive repairs tomorrow. The financial pressures facing the city are also clearly affecting on the implementation of infrastructure projects. The report confirms delayed or non-payment to contractors is impacting project performance, forcing the city to revise or reduce these targets. When contractors are not paid on time, work slows down, projects stall and costs escalate. Residents ultimately pay the price through unfinished road upgrades,claim

02:24:53delayed water infrastructure repairs and electricity network failures that take even longer to resolve. This means that the critical electricity infrastructure projects are now delayed simply because the city failed to properly plan and allocate its finances. At the same time, the city has entered into a politically facilitated agreement that will increase employee-related costs to approximate by approximately 1.35 billion rand without adding any additional value or capacity to service delivery.claim

02:25:23This decision comes at a time when the city's finances are already under extreme pressure. Instead of directing its scarce resources towards fixing water infrastructure, stabilizing electricity supply and repairing deteriorating roads, the city has committed billions more to employee costs without improving the city's ability to actually deliver those services. Quite simply, Johannesburg cannot afford this. Taken together, these issues paint a troubling picture for the city's financial health.claim

02:25:53The SDBIP does not represent a bold plan to restore stability or accelerate service delivery. Instead, it reflects a municipality that is struggling to meet its own commitments, scaling back projects and lowering expectations because finances simply do not meet or support the plans that were originally approved. The residents of Johannesburg deserve better than a cycle of unrealistic promises followed by reduced targets and delayed projects. They deserve a city government that plans properly, budgets responsibly

02:26:24and prioritizes the infrastructure that keeps this city running. We therefore reject this reviewed and revised SDBIP.

Item 3 debate: EFF and ANC

02:26:31Thank you, Councillor Kyle. The next councillor is Councillor Radebe from the N. Radebe from the EFF.

02:26:52Thank you, Speaker. Let me greet the EFF caucus whip, Councillor Nthabiseng Mogapi, fellow councillors present here, guests in the gallery, and most importantly, the residents of the City of Johannesburg whose lives are directly affected by the decisions we take in this chamber. Speaker, this report deals with what is called the midyear review of the SDBIP, which is the instrument that translates the city's budget and development plans

02:27:22into actual service delivery commitments. In simple terms, the SDBIP is supposed to answer a basic question for residents. What exactly will the city deliver this year and how will we measure whether it has been delivered or not? The SDBIP is therefore not just an internal administrative document, it is effectively a contract between the city administration, this council and the residents of Johannesburg. The report before us proposes adjustment and deviations to targets and performance indicators

02:27:53halfway through the financial year. These adjustments affect both departments of the city and municipal entities. Some of these adjustments are justified on the basis that the city wants to improve the quality of its indicators and align them with the SMART principles, meaning that targets must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. While this may sound reasonable, the critical question we must ask as councillors is whether these adjustments are truly about improving

02:28:23measurement or whether they are about lowering expectations because the city is struggling to meet its own targets. One example highlighted in the report is the reduction of the target for spending on repairs and maintenance of infrastructure. Initially, the target was set at 8% of property, plant and equipment, but the city is now revising that target downwards because the approved budget only allows for about 7.1%. This may sound like a technical adjustment, but for residents this has a very serious and real consequences.

02:28:56When we reduce maintenance spending targets, we are effectively accepting that broken infrastructure will remain broken for longer. And in a city like Johannesburg where residents are already experiencing frequent electricity outages, water leaks, collapsing roads and failing infrastructure, lowering maintenance ambition is deeply concerning. Another issue highlighted in the report is the revision of housing delivery targets, particularly relating to dwellings connected to municipal electricity supply. The report indicates that the contractor payment challenges

02:29:28have affected progress and therefore quarterly targets must be adjusted. But Speaker, residents do not experience housing delivery in terms of quarterly indicators, they experience it in terms of whether they receive a house or remain in informal settlements year after year. When housing delivery targets are revised, communities waiting for dignified shelters are the ones who suffer the consequences. The EFF has consistently argued that performance management in government must never become bureaucratic exercise designed to

02:30:00protects the administration.

02:30:0250 seconds.

02:30:03It must be a tool that strengthens accountability to the people. If If targets are unrealistic, they must be fixed at the planning stage. But once the city commits to service delivery targets, those commitments must be treated as promises to residents, not flexible administrative guidelines. The people of Johannesburg are already facing enormous challenges. Speaker, the EFF the EFF therefore insist that any revisions to the SDBIP must strengthen transparency and improve service delivery,

02:30:30rather than becoming a mechanism to normalize underperformance within the administration because ultimately the real report card of this municipality will not be written in performance indicators. It will be written in the daily lives of the residents of the City of Johannesburg. I thank you.

02:30:47Councillor Modupi from the ANC.

02:30:58Thank you, Madam Speaker. Honourable Speaker, Executive Mayor, Deputy Executive Mayor, fellow councillors. Today we are not just discussing item number three. We are discussing whether the people of Johannesburg will feel change in their lives. This plan speaks about 84.8 billion in revenue, 89.3 billion across the city, and about 8.4 billion for the infrastructure.claim

02:31:33But to our people, this are not numbers. To them, it is simple. It is whether the lights come on at night. It is whether water comes out of the tap in the morning. It is whether the road they walk on is fixed. It is whether a family can finally get a place to stay and stop being crushed by rent. Madam Speaker, let us be honest. This There are those in this council who want to turn everything into politics,

02:32:05er even something as serious as this, to oppose everything, to criticize everything, to reject everything. But to our people, this is not just a debate. They are living in struggle, Madam Speaker. A struggle does not need speeches, it needs delivery. Even those on the opposition benches must understand, not everything must be fought, not everything must be rejected.

02:32:35Some things must be supported because our people cannot wait. Madam Speaker, a plan like this is not perfect, but it is necessary because without a plan, nothing moves forward. Without a plan, no road is fixed, no pipe is repaired, no house is built. And let us say this clearly, Madam Speaker, every rand in this plan must mean something to our people because when money is not spent

02:33:06when it where it must be spent, it is just money sitting somewhere. It is a community left behind. Madam Speaker, our people are waiting. They are waiting for electricity. They are waiting for water. They are waiting for roads. They are waiting for potholes to be closed. They are waiting for housing. They are waiting for a chance to breathe. We cannot fail them because we want to score political points.

02:33:36Madam Speaker, the ANC caucus supports this plan not because everything is perfect, but because our people need movement, not delay. Let us move, let us implement, let us deliver because in the end, our people will not remember what we said here. They will remember what we changed in their lives. I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Item 3: MMC Finance responds and item noted

02:33:58Thank you, Councillor Modupi. MMC Masuku, Deputy Mayor.

02:34:08Thank Thank you, Speaker, once again. Just want to reiterate that um the the the mid-year review should be understand that it's a legislated uh process and the review ensures that the city's performance and commitments remain realistic, financially aligned, attainable and and implementable for the remainder of the financial year.

02:34:37Um I think it's important that I address the concern raised um by um the councillor on the on the loans. The Capex funding is made up of cash, loans, and grants. And this is an uh optimum optimal mix of funding which is actually encouraged by National Treasury. And currently, there are only three metros that can actually do this. It's eThekwini, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.claim

02:35:07So, this is not an anomaly in terms of how we actually do our funding plan and the model that we use in particular in terms of how we fund Capex. So, I thought it was important to allay the fears of councillors that we are not doing anything illegal or outside um the law. I also want Speaker to address the concern um on the issue raised by Councillor Pitso. Councillor Pitso, we all have the capacity in the government of local unity and the political will,

02:35:37that is why we go out and we serve residents. And I think it will be disingenuous to make an allegation uh on record that um the Executive Mayor uh took money from certain departments. There is a process that is done in the city and it's a budget steering committee. And yes, there are certain revisions that will affect certain departments, but we've got a platform to air those concerns, we've got a platform to clear those uh particular concerns. And then when we come to council collectively,

02:36:08I think it's important that um we must treat um the the reports as um a collective report because we are here to make sure that this um governance oversight is done. And these deviations actually were even up uh uh reviewed by the Group Audit Performance Committee in the city. And by the way, not all proposals were supported, which demonstrates a robust independent oversight and strengthen the credibility of the revised SDBIP.

02:36:38And I must indicate that um a significant portion of the deviations actually relate to technical alignment with National Treasury Circular 88, including improvements uh to calculation methods, terminology, and data definitions. These changes enhance compliance and national comparability. And it's evidence on improved performance, it's there. And it indicates that those targets where we've done well,

02:37:08we've actually increased and this demonstrates that the city does raise ambition where delivery and capacity are demonstrated. We complied with the legal requirements and we did not downgrade service delivery targets. We focused on what I've already indicated and the quality of the KPIs and to make sure that the KPIs are implementable and the performance framework is able to to withstand the test the test of time.

02:37:39So, I do want to ask that we um support this report because it is a legislated report and we are actually in line, both in line with Circular 13 and Circular 88 of National Treasury. I ask council to approve. Thank you, Speaker.

02:37:55Thank you so much um MMC. Colleagues, the recommendations are on page 3.24. The item is for noting. Is it noted?

02:38:08Noted!

02:38:11Thank you.

02:38:13We now proceed with item four and that is the 20

02:38:16Hold on, STC, there's a hand. Councillor Niemand.

02:38:20Yes, please note the DA's opposition against this item although it's for noting. Thank you and we reserve our rights.

02:38:28Councillor, are you are you against what Councillor Niemand said? Okay, let's hear.

02:38:38Speaker, I'd like to bring to to your attention and the attention of the chamber that having called out an official in this chamber for sitting in this chamber, um she subsequently threatened to beat up one of my councillors.

02:38:57Colleagues, colleagues, colleagues, please.

02:39:00I have written to you and I trust that this will be matter will be taken very, very seriously. Thank you.

02:39:08Councillor Smit, I thought because you had written to us that we are noting it. I don't know whether I've responded to you, but we have we are noting what you have said to us. Um right, STC. We are on our last item.

Item 4 debate: Service Level Standards review (PA, GOOD, ACDP)

02:39:26The fourth item uh councillors, it's the 2025-2026 Institutional SDBIP Mid-Year Service Level Standards Review and that's for deviation and adjustments.

02:39:38Thank you. Our first speaker is Councillor Simonse from the Patriotic Alliance.

02:39:47Good afternoon, Madam Speaker, um to our colleagues in the house. Madam Speaker, um for my three minutes I'm not going to speak on the item, I just would like to bring to your attention the disrespect that this council has towards fellow councillors. I think it's very unethical and it is very disheartening sitting here in this council chamber where we cannot um give our point of views. Anybody can stand up and praise their MMCs and their political parties. So, I feel that it is very unfairemotive

02:40:18when we do speak about Councillor Kenny Kunene, MMC Kenny Kunene, for the house to do that. And with saying that, Madam Speaker, as the Patriotic Alliance, we do note this report. Thank you.emotive

02:40:31Councillor Simonse, I would have thought the what you are saying is a response to to what was said from Councillor Pitso. Um I'm not going to debate on it,

02:40:46but it's something that should be taken offline and not here if you have an issue of how your matter or how your debate was answered. Okay. Thank you, Councillor Simonse. Um MMC, ag, Councillor Cook.

02:41:08Thank you, Madam Speaker. Uh Speaker, Service Level Standards are meant to be the city's promise to residents. They outline the minimum level of service people can expect from the municipality. These shouldn't necessarily be moving targets. Today council is being asked to approve a number of mid-year devi- deviations and amendments to the city's Service Level Standards across several departments, including City Power, the City of Johannesburg Ombudsman, Corporate and Shared Services, and the City of Johannesburg Health Department.

02:41:41Some of the proposed changes are technical corrections, and those may well be reasonable. But other changes do raise a slight concern that the city is adjusting the way performance is measured rather than improving the services themselves. One example is the proposed amendment within the Health Department where the existing standard measuring clinic waiting times is effectively replaced by an indicator focused on how quickly complaints are resolved.

02:42:12Speaker, residents do not experience service delivery through performance indicators or technical definitions. They experience service delivery while standing in the long queue at a clinic. Speaker, if waiting times at clinics is the problem, then the solution is not to remove the indicator that measures this. The solution is to fix the service. Similarly, changes proposed by City Power

02:42:43adjust the way the city measures how quickly it communicates about power interruptions. Anyone, and that means everyone in Johannesburg, has experienced an outage in the city and knows that communication remains one of the biggest frustrations residents face from City Power. The city should therefore be strengthening the standard, not redefining them. Service standards are meant to strengthen accountability.

02:43:13If they are amended, the test must always be, does this improve transparency and does this uh improve service delivery for our residents? If the answer is no, then council should be cautious about approving those changes. Speaker, Johannesburg residents deserve better services, not better explanations of why services are failing. I thank you.

02:43:39Thank you, Councillor Cook. Councillor Rohlssen from the ACDP.

02:43:47Uh thank you very much, uh Honourable Speaker. Uh the ACD- and uh greetings to uh all the colleagues and all protocols observed. Uh the ACDP notes this report. Thank you.

Item 4 debate: ActionSA and DA, smoke interruption

02:44:00Thank you, Councillor Rohlssen. Um ActionSA, Councillor Mabunda.

02:44:20XitsongaXewani Xipikara, Executive Mayor, vakhanselara-kulori, vaendzi lava nga e tlhelo ra nhlengeletano na vaaki va le Joni. Tani hi Action SA hi kongomisa hi ku tinyiketela laha leswaku hi nga tsekatseki eka vulamuri bya vaaki na vufambisi lebyi nga na milawu ya mahanyelo

02:44:50Xitsongaeka hina ku nyikiwa ka vukorhekeri a hi xihoxo xa tipolitiki ntsena, i ndlela leyi hi nga vuyiselaka xindzhuti xa miganga ya hina ha yona. Hi xivumbeko xa xiviri xa vulamuri bya vaaki leswi tiyisisaka leswaku muaki un'wani na un'wani u kuma vukorhekeri bya nkoka lebyi a fanelaka ku byi kuma hi yona mhaka leyi hi tshameke

02:45:20Xitsongahi teka xiyimo eka khansela leyi. Hi tiyimisele ku seketela leswi hatlisaka ku nyikiwa ka vukorhekeri hikuva hi twisisa ku hatlisa ka swilaveko swa miganga ya hina. Hambi swi ri tano, ku tinyiketela ka hina eka vufambisi lebyi nga na milawu ya mahanyelo ku lava leswaku hi endla leswi hi vutihlamuleri a hi nge vi rubber stamp ntsena.

02:45:50XitsongaKu lavisisa vululami bya vaaki ku ti hi teka naku kambisisa vukheta hi ku tirhisa ku bula loku hi tiyisisa leswaku swi tirhisiwa kahle naswona lava nga na vusweti a va vavisiwi hi ku tlanga hi mali kumbe ti-project leti nga hleriwangiki kahle. Action SA yi ta tshama

02:46:20Xitsongayi lwela ku hatlisa ku nyikiwa ka vukorhekeri kambe hi ala ku nyiketela vufambisi lebyi nga na milawu ya mahanyelo na mafambiselo ya mfumo lama nga riki kahle. Ndza khensa.

02:46:36I'm hoping that the MMC understood. Councillor Councillor K. Jacobs.

02:46:50Just hold on, Councillor Jacobs, there's a hand.

02:46:56Speaker, something is burning in the chamber.

02:47:00We are looking into what it is. We are looking into what it is. We have just sent Frans to check what it is. You can see it's going down. You can see it's going down, it might be outside. We are checking. Let's not panic. Councillor Kyle.

02:47:31Thank you, Speaker. Um Speaker, item four simply reads exactly as item one, two, and three. The deviation adjustments in the Service Level Standards does not improve the outcomes in service delivery to residents. Therefore, we do not sup- uh support the deviations and adjustments. Thank you.

02:47:57Thank you, Councillor Kyle.

Item 4 debate: EFF, ANC and MMC Finance; item noted

02:48:04I think I think there is a need I think there is a need for us to really check out this. Cause it's even getting on to some of our chests. Yeah, there is someone, we're going on, but there is people downstairs. Uh Councillor Radebe from the EFF.

02:48:31Councillor Radebe from the EFF.

02:48:37Uh thank you, Speaker. Um at first at first glance, this report might sound technical,

02:48:48but when we translate it into plain language, it is about the standards that the city comprises that, oh sorry, that the city promises residents when delivering services. These standards tell residents how long they should wait for electricity repairs, how quickly complaints must be handled, and how efficiently municipal services should respond to the needs of communities. In simple terms, Speaker, these standards form the contract between the city and the residents of Johannesburg.

02:49:19Now, what this report is asking council to do is to change some of these service standards in the middle of the financial year. These changes affect several departments, including City Power, the Ombudsman, Corporate and Shared Services, and the Health Department. The justification given in the reports is that some indicators need to be corrected, clarified, or aligned with the so-called SMART principle. But Speaker, the real question we must ask is, are these

02:49:49changes improving services for the residents or are they simply adjusting targets because the city cannot meet them? For example, when we talk about electricity interruptions, residents of Johannesburg do not care about technical definitions of indicators. What they care about is very simple, when the lights go off, how long does it take for the city to respond? In many communities, the answer is not hours or days, but sometimes weeks and even months. When we talk about clinics, residents do not care

02:50:20about performance terminology. They care about whether they will stand in a queue for two hours, four hours, or the entire day before seeing a nurse. And when we talk about complaints to the Ombudsman, residents simply want to know whether the city will listen and resolve their problems. Speaker, the EFF believes that service delivery standards should never be adjusted in any way that lowers the expectations of government or excuses poor performance. Instead,

02:50:50standards must push the administration to work harder and deliver better services to the people. The EFF has always been clear in its documents and policy positions that government must be measured by the lived reality of the people, not by internal reports and technical indicators. If residents are sitting in the dark, if clinics are overcrowded, and if complaints are not resolved, then no adjustment of indicators can hide the truth. The people of Johannesburg deserve clear service

02:51:20commitments, strict accountability, and a municipal administration that takes performance seriously. Therefore, while the city may need to refine technical indicators, the council must ensure that these adjustments do not become a tool to dilute accountability or mask poor service delivery. The real measure of success will not be found in reports or revised indicators, it will be found in the daily experiences of the residents of Johannesburg, and that is the standard by which this council

02:51:50must always judge itself. I thank you, Speaker.

02:51:54Thank you so much. Colleagues, on the smell that came up, those people that are smoking, officials and councillors, were smoking at the bottom and that is the smell that came through. You can all note that that smell is gone. So, please don't smoke in the around the chambers. Councillor Modupi.

02:52:21Let me thank you again, Madam Speaker.

02:52:22Councillor Modupi, can you take your seat. Councillor Munyayi.

02:52:28Uh greetings to you, Madam Speaker. I feel like the ANC is baking the bread under

02:52:43We'll teach you about point of order, switch off your mic. Councillor Modupi.

02:52:48Thank you again, Madam Speaker. You know, Madam Speaker, sometimes I think if our kids could watch us here, would really not take us seriously as their parents, the way we behave. I don't think that even at their schools they behave in this particular fashion. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to speak on item number four. Let us be clear from the outset.

02:53:18Madam Speaker, deviations are not a sign of a failure. They are a requirement of responsible governance. In terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act, Section 72, the city is required to conduct a mid-year performance assessment and identify areas where implementation is not aligned with the plan. This is exactly what we are doing here today, Madam Speaker. This process is further guided by MFMA Circular 13,

02:53:49which allows for the revision of the SDBIP, provided such changes are brought before council for approval. So, these deviations are not arbitrary. They are legally prescribed, procedurally compliant, and necessary for accountability. We are dealing with a city that delivers over 160 core services, guided by more than 170 service commitments across departments and entities.

02:54:20At this scale, it is inevitable that implementation will reveal gaps. The question is not whether gaps gaps er exist, the question is whether we correct them. Deviations arise because plans are tested in real conditions. They are refined to ensure clearer management, clearer measurement, realistic targets, and better alignment with service delivery realities. A target that cannot

02:54:50be measured cannot be enforced. And a plan that cannot be enforced cannot serve the people. This is also in line with the Municipal Systems Act, Section 41, which requires municipalities to set measurable performance targets. So, Madam Speaker, when we adjust indicators to make them more specific and measurable, we are not lowering standards. We are complying with the law.

02:55:21A capable municipality is not one that never adjusts, it is one that continuously improves. A system that refuses to correct itself is not strong, Madam Speaker, it is irresponsible. Now, let me address the opposition. You cannot reject legally required adjustments and at the same time demand better service delivery. You cannot oppose the correction of performance indicators and then complain

02:55:51about poor accountability. That is a contradiction. These deviations are part of strengthening governance, not weakening it. These adjustments are required by legislation, driven by oversight, and necessary for improved service delivery. We are not lowering the bar. We are making the bar measurable, enforceable, and real, and that is what our people deserve.

02:56:20Now, talking to our people, Madam Speaker, standing here and representing the old liberation movement in the continent, I'm calling to our people to join us tomorrow as we will be going to Constitutional Hill to march to march in support of the sovereignty of our country, which is South Africa. We are saying that we cannot be dictated upon by the external

02:56:50forces with their agents, such as AfriForum, those who want to tell us how to conduct our businesses. No one will send even their ambassadors and tell us how we behave. As the African National Congress, we are going to be demonstrating to show the world that we are a sovereign state and we must be respected as such. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

02:57:14Thank you, Councillor. MMC Masuku.

02:57:20isiZuluThank you, Speaker. uKhansela Modupi uyibeke yonke. We ask council to note the report.

02:57:26Thank you, MMC. Colleagues, the report is the recommendations are on page 4.8. Is the item noted?

02:57:35Noted!

02:57:37Thank you. Councillor Niemand.

02:57:40Yes, uh firstly, thank you, Speaker. Uh please note the DA's opposition to this item and we reserve our rights. Secondly, Speaker, this chair situation is still not fixed. If we can please look at it before the council meeting up and coming. Thank you very much.

02:57:57Thank you so much, Councillor Niemand. To those councillors there that are packing up, we have not done with council. We are still busy. We are still in session. STC.

Announcements and adjournment

02:58:13Uh councillors, we are now on announcements.

02:58:20Announcements are as follow. You are all reminded that the ordinary council meeting has been moved to 30 and 31 March uh 2026. And we also want to thank all councillors for your attendance and your contribution. We want to thank our guests, members of the media, we are honored by your presence. We also want to say thank you to the residents of Johannesburg who are following the council proceedings through Facebook.

02:58:51Councillor Modupi, I love what you said that we we should be cognizant and think of what our children says when they watch it, and even the residents. I want to thank you all for your attendance today. The meeting is adjourned.

02:59:09Long live the Speaker! Winnie Madikizela House tomorrow, come

02:59:19Come to Gandhi Square tomorrow 10:00.

02:59:25Speaker, Speaker. Come to Gandhi Square for prayer.

02:59:32Till tomorrow at Winnie