Kabelo Gwamanda

Attendance

Present

59

Leave of absence

5

Absent without leave

1

Arrived late

4

Left early

0

Reasons given for leave: Private business (4), Party business (1).

"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

10 s

Average greetings first

0 s

Apology or leave of absence (3)

• 22 Jul 2026 · 00:49:01Family responsibility. Leave of absence for family responsibility. sitting
• 25 Jun 2026 · 00:52:38Arriving late. Said to be running late, then noted as having arrived. sitting
• 26 May 2026 · 00:16:56Arriving late. Apology raised after the Speaker initially missed the member's hand. 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.

• 25 Jun 2026 · 05:34:417 · 1 min 31 s

  Read what they said (158 words)

  Not a problem, Madam Speaker. Thank you very much. I think, Madam Speaker, it would be prudent for me to extend my humble apologies to the ward councillor of the targeted area for not having been able to understand his constituents enough to bring a motion of this nature in their best interest. So,

  Madam Speaker, there's two major developments.

  Councillor Gwamanda, your time is going.

  There's two major developments, Madam Speaker. One of which is the Brixton Water Tower project; the other one is the Hursthill Water Tower upgrades. So we are not proposing that Auckland Park be declared a student precinct without consideration of bulk infrastructure and the challenges that the community has faced for the longest of time. This is evidence-based planning that will assist the city in its turnaround strategy to a developmental agenda.

  Madam Speaker, I'd like to propose that council support this particular motion as a service delivery motion. I thank you.

• 25 Jun 2026 · 05:13:267 · 4 min 13 s

  Read what they said (396 words)

  Thank you very much uh Speaker. Good afternoon to yourself. Good afternoon to the Deputy Executive Mayor. Good afternoon to the members of the Mayoral Committee, political parties that are present, uh guests in the gallery and the residents in the City of Johannesburg. Madam Speaker, I rise on in terms of Rule uh 89(2),

  uh tabling a motion to this Council to initiate a formal declaration of Auckland Park here in Johannesburg as a student precinct. Madam Speaker, Auckland Park has over several decades organically evolved into one of the City of Johannesburg's most significant education and knowledge nodes. The area is anchored by the University of the uh of UJ

  and lies in close proximity from the University of the Witwatersrand, resulting in a high uh and growing concentration of students, academic staff and related economic activities in the area. This concentration has effectively transformed Auckland Park into a functional student hub, with increased demand for accommodation, transport, retail, social infrastructure aligned um to a student population.

  However, despite this reality, the current zoning framework continues to classify large portions of the area as residential, which is not aligned to the uh intensity and nature of land use taking place. This misalignment has limited the development of um well-regulated, purpose-built student accommodation that has instead contributed

  to the proliferation of informal and non-compliant student housing. As a result, the area is experiencing increasing pressure on municipal infrastructure, including water, electricity, waste management and road networks. Furthermore, the absence of a formally designated student precinct has resulted in fragmented urban management planning. This has led to challenges such as overcrowding, inconsistent enforcement of by-laws and heightened

  safety risks affecting both students and long-term residents in the area. The current situation underscores the need for a coordinated and strategic intervention by the city to properly recognize, regulate, and support Auckland Park's evolving role in Johannesburg's knowledge economy. Madam Speaker,

  the motion seeks to ask this council to formally recognize Auckland Park as a student precinct, of course, with a mandate to the Department of Development Planning to initiate formal feasibility study into the declaration of Auckland Park as a designated student precinct in line with applicable nodal and spatial planning policies.

  and to explore the establishment of a city improvement district with Auckland Park and strengthen urban management, including safety, cleaning and in public space maintenance.

Spoke on

• 30 Sept 2026 · 03:02:28Item 9 vote: Petitions Policy carried
• 25 Jun 2026 · 05:12:48Motion: Declaration of Auckland Park as a student precinct (proposal and seconding)
• 25 Jun 2026 · 05:34:25Auckland Park motion: proposer's reply and executive position

Offices held

• Executive Mayor · 5 May 2023 to 16 August 2024source
• MMC for Community Development · 16 August 2024 to 27 November 2024sourceend date approximate