Hendrik Bodenstein

Attendance

Present

18

Leave of absence

0

Absent without leave

1

Arrived late

0

Left early

0

"Absent without leave" means the signed minutes of a meeting held while they were on council neither list them as present nor excuse them, and no similar name appears that day, so misspellings in the minutes don't count against anyone. Each square links to the minutes.

In the chamber

From the 10 sittings transcribed so far in their term. Times are approximate, to the nearest transcript line.

Not present when called

0

Times given the floor

2

Average wait to start

9 s

Average greetings first

2 s

Warned or stopped by the chair (3)

• 30 Sept 2026 · 09:50:24Chair agrees the motion was not an ANC motion and tells Bodenstein to stop calling it one. sitting
• 30 Sept 2026 · 09:51:38Chair asks Bodenstein to withdraw his remark. sitting
• 25 Jun 2026 · 03:57:30Chair asked him to withdraw the words 'political mafia' after a point of order; he withdrew unconditionally. sitting

In their words

Every time the chair gave them the floor in a transcribed sitting (2), newest first. The words are the AI transcript of that stretch of the livestream (Argon), so they can include the chair or an interjection; the time link is the place to check.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 09:46:58Motion 1: Renaming Wolmarans Street · 8 min 21 s

  Read what they said (1109 words)

  Thank you, Madam Speaker. Councillor Zigebe of the UDM proposes that we rename Wolmarans Street after his spiritual leader. Perhaps this is the UDM's new approach to service delivery. Its leader, General Bantu Holomisa, famously tried to explain it on live television: "You give a poor man a fish and you feed him for a day. You teach him to fish, you give him, you give him, no, no, no, no, no."

  Councillor Zigebe has now completed the proverb: "You give a councillor a pastor, and he gives the pastor a street." A councillor is entitled to honor his spiritual leader. He may name his house, his firstborn, or even his Wi-Fi after him, but a public street belongs to the whole city. Once council starts renaming streets after people politicians worship, where does it end? Some ANC members behave as though they worship the godfather Paul Mashatile from his very big church in Alexandra.

  Must we prepare Mashatile Avenue? The PA worships the ground walked upon by Gayton McKenzie, a convicted former bank robber. Must we have McKenzie Main Road, Patriotic Alliance Plaza, perhaps Prison to Parliament Promenade? Will every political messiah receive a boulevard, every prophet a promenade, every party leader a traffic circle? Speaker, we cannot afford to fill Johannesburg's potholes, never mind rename streets around

  Do you want us to name streets after Helen Zille, who allegedly sold out Steve Biko to be arrested?

  Madam Speaker, am I protected?

  That's what you want to do.

  If Helen Zille and the Blue Brigade had not drawn attention to them, one wonders whether a single pothole would have been filled in Johannesburg this past year. Ms. Zille had to put on a wetsuit and snorkel in one before the city discovered asphalt. If the Blue Brigade didn't start filling potholes themselves, would any ever be done during this maladministration? The ANC cannot find enough money to fix the roads,

  She must be arrested, that one! She must be arrested!

  The ANC cannot find enough money to fix the roads, but it has found enough political ambition to field not one,

  Order, order, Madam Speaker, order. Order, Madam Speaker. Can I raise order? It's Councillor Modupi. Are you giving me platform, Madam Speaker?

  I was struggling with the mics. If you could see on the screen, I was struggling with the mics. Who's asking for a platform?

  It's Councillor Modupi.

  Councillor Modupi, what's the point of order? And on what point of order are you standing?

  I'm rising on Rule number 72, and the point of order that I'm raising here is that the motion that is in front of us is not raised by the African National Congress, and the speaker on the platform keeps on mentioning the name of the African National Congress.

  Thank you, Councillor. Thank you. And Councillor Bodenstein, the councillor is correct. It was not raised by the ANC.

  Right.

  So, desist from saying it's an ANC motion.

  That's fine. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

  He's sleeping on duty. He's sleeping on duty.

  All right. So, I have news for everybody who supports this motion. Helen is slowly but surely fixing every pothole in Joburg, and the road to her office in the Metro Centre is getting smoother every single day.

  Speaker, Speaker.

  Can you hold on? Someone can't raise his hand. Councillor

  You are out of order, wena.

  Who are you, Councillor?

  It's Councillor Mzolo, Speaker.

  There was a point of order now, so you can't raise another point of order.

  Speaker, I'm not raising a point of order, but the councillor on the podium, no, but the councillor on the podium did not withdraw the remarks that this is an ANC motion, so he should withdraw.

  Yeah, I'm going to tell him now. Councillor Bodenstein, can you withdraw that it is an ANC motion? Because your time is running.

  I never said it was, but I'll withdraw if that is what they interpreted it as.

  No, no, no, Councillor. No, you don't do that. Withdraw what you said that it's an ANC motion, because it's not an ANC motion.

  It's not an ANC motion.

  It's just a motion. So can you withdraw that?

  I never said that it was an ANC motion, Madam Speaker.

  You did! We all heard it.

  I did not.

  Now sit down, man. Sit down, you're a lost person.

  Councillor, you're saying we are all deaf? Otherwise I'm going to cut your time, and I'll take you off.

  He's probably drinking brandy. He's probably drinking brandy, this one.

  Hey, hey, Councillors! I'm not asking you, I'm dealing with a councillor. Councillor Bodenstein, can you withdraw what you said? You kept on saying the ANC,

  Why are you emotional when they speak about the ANC?

  You kept on saying the ANC and Mashatile, you kept on saying the ANC, and I'm not defending anybody, but I'm saying what all of us at this table heard.

  I withdraw that it's an ANC motion.

  Yeah, you must go and sleep.

  Councillors! Can you please carry on because you only have three minutes now.

  All right.

  MMC Kunene, I can't have another point of order, MMC. MMC Kunene, and there's another one, Councillor, Councillor who? Councillor Wax.

  It's a point of order. It's a point of order, Madam Speaker.

  But I've had a point of order now.

  Mara ke le bone gore

  that's why nawe u so.

  No, no, no, Councillor Wax, Councillor Wax, remove your hand. We've been cruising so nice.

  Madam Speaker, may I continue?

  Now sit down, Boer. Sit down. You are wasting our time, Boer.

  You only have three minutes left. Can you carry on?

  All right.

  Potholes, she does not fix potholes!

  I've ruled, I'm not taking any hands. Councillor Bodenstein, get done.

  But you're not in control, Madam Speaker. Your people are shouting there, and they keep defying you. So please control them.

  Absolutely, Speaker, this is getting ridiculous.

  No, no, no, I know that. There's a racist statement that has been made against the speaker on the podium, and he must withdraw!

  Can you mute everybody except Councillor Bodenstein? Councillor Bodenstein, your three minutes.

  All right, thank you, Madam Speaker. Before spending public money on new signs and a dedication ceremony, repair the street, clean the street, light the street, make it safe to walk down, because naming a pothole after somebody does not fix it. So let's adapt General Holomisa's wisdom to this new age: give Johannesburg a new street sign, and it looks impressive for a day; fix the street, and residents can use it for years. We oppose this motion yet again.

• 25 Jun 2026 · 03:53:5290 · 6 min 2 s

  Read what they said (740 words)

  Mevrou die Speaker,

  batho ba Johannesburg.

  The DA supports subsidized housing for poor and working-class families in Diepsloot. What we do not support is using the poor as a cover for sweetheart deals benefiting politically connected developers. Because while a family living in a shack needs a home, a developer needs profit, and those are not the same thing. Yet this report treats them as if they are.

  If this item is truly about helping the poor, separate the subsidized housing component and let's vote for it today. But that is not what the ANC has brought before council. Instead, we are being asked to approve blanket exemptions worth millions, covering commercial developments and sectional title units. And let us not hide behind polite language. Let us name exactly who this benefits: Valumax.

  This council is being asked to hand over a massive financial windfall to a mega-developer under the guise of helping the poor. And that raises a simple question: Who really benefits? Because every time the ANC tells us something is for the poor, a politically connected developer walks away smiling. Johannesburg residents know the stories. They know the investigative reports.

  They know the reputation of the Alex Mafia and its political godfather, Paul Mashatile. They know exactly how this network operates.

  With massive state

  O tšhubile matekwane!

  Councillor Bodenstein. Acting Mayor.

  O tšhubile matekwane!

  Thank you, Speaker.

  Colleagues.

  Thank you, Speaker. The councillor is out of order on the use of the word political mafia. He has no proof or evidence of what he's saying. He must withdraw the word mafia, but he can speak about our Deputy President. He's doing very well, but he must remove the word mafia.

  Councillor, please do that.

  Madam Speaker, with due respect, I can withdraw, but it is in public domain.

  No, unconditionally. Unconditionally.

  Withdraw wena man! Withdraw wena!

  And if you, if you look at your leaders in the back,

  You are a racist! Go out, you racist!

  they tell you to do.

  I withdraw, ma'am.

  You racist, go out!

  I withdraw, ma'am.

  Be quiet, colleagues. If you, if you look at your leaders, what they're telling you to do,

  I, I've withdrawn, ma'am.

  you, you withdraw unconditionally.

  I, I withdraw unconditionally.

  Yeah. Thank you. Withdraw, jong.

  Donkie.

  They know exactly how this network operates.

  Hey guys, this side! Hey!

  Sizomguqa simkhiphele phandle.

  Councillors, councillors. Chair of Chairs, help me. Please help me, Chair of Chairs. Colleagues, can I allow him to speak? He has withdrawn. Okay, you must... Colleagues, I don't want to scream. I'll wait for everybody to keep quiet.

  I'll wait for all of you to keep quiet. Councillor Bodenstein.

  Yes, ma'am.

  The Acting Mayor has asked that you withdraw political mafia. Can you withdraw political mafia?

  The, the term was Alex Mafia and I withdraw unconditionally.

  Thank you. Hey, colleagues! I will remove, ne? I will remove! And those that are chorusing, I will remove you. Thank you, Councillor Bodenstein.

  Thank you, Madam Speaker. The people of Johannesburg know exactly how this network operates. When massive state contracts and municipal concessions magically flow into a cozy inner circle of preferred developers. When those exact same developers stand to save millions through a sudden midnight decision of this council, residents are entitled to look at the Deputy President's lifestyle, look at this report, and ask exactly who is paying for what. Then there is the urgency.

  Urgent? This agreement has existed since 2025. For a year, nobody touched it. For a year, nobody cared. Now suddenly, in the dying hours of the financial year, council is expected to rubber-stamp it. The ANC's governing model is simple: sleep on the problem for 12 months, and sneak in this report at the 11th hour, and then elevate it to benefit a connected few. Madam Speaker, perhaps the real urgency is political.

  The ANC can see the writing on the wall. The people of Johannesburg have had enough. A competent and responsible government is coming, and there are those who seem desperate to get certain deals signed, sealed, and delivered before accountability arrives. That is why this council must ask questions. That is why this council must demand transparency. And that is why the DA will not be bullied into approving a blank check for politically connected interests.

  The poor are the headline, the developers are the beneficiaries, and the taxpayers are the victims. The DA rejects this report.

Spoke on

• 30 Sept 2026 · 09:46:48Motion 1: DA speech and points of order about 'ANC motion'
• 25 Jun 2026 · 03:53:39Item 90: DA opposition and withdrawal of 'mafia' remark