Ulinda Porshia Lotz

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

6

Average wait to start

9 s

Average greetings first

3 s

In their words

Every time the chair gave them the floor in a transcribed sitting (6), 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 · 05:21:21Item 8 Employment Equity Policy Framework · 3 min 13 s

  Read what they said (414 words)

  Uh let me unmute myself.

  You are unmuted.

  Oh, okay. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

  Speaker, I rise to speak on item 8. Speaker, the Employment Equity Act requires that our workforce broadly reflects the demographics of the communities we serve. That is the law. But the intention of the Act was never to reduce people to numbers. It was never meant to become a blunt instrument. It was meant to remove barriers, so what it was it was meant to remove barriers, widen opportunity, and ensure that no group is systematically excluded from public employment.

  Yet, Speaker, across the country, and increasingly in this city, we are hearing calls to scrap employment equity altogether. Not because people reject fairness, but because they feel that the Act has been misused. They feel it has been applied in ways that exclude rather than include, in ways that harden divisions rather than heal them, in ways that reduce equity to arithmetics instead of justice. These concerns cannot be dismissed; they must be confronted honestly.

  Because even with the Act in place, many groups in Johannesburg remain excluded from meaningful participation in the city's workforce. Persons with disabilities remain severely underrepresented. Women are still clustered at lower levels and remain scarce in senior and top management. Minority communities and several language groups are almost invisible in our recruitment pipelines. And despite being the most diverse city on the continent, our workforce does not yet mirror the full spectrum of Johannesburg's people.

  Speaker, this is not a failure of the Act; it is a failure of implementation, and this is why Johannesburg must lead. We must lead in restoring the spirit of the Act, not just the letter. We must lead in demonstrating that employment equity is not about exclusion, but about inclusion; not about gatekeeping, but about opening doors; not about punishing groups, but uplifting those historically left behind.

  Speaker, the equity is not only a constitutional obligation; it is a service delivery imperative. A city that does not reflect its people cannot serve its people. When communities see themselves represented in the city's workforce, trust increases, participation improves, and service delivery becomes more responsive and more humane. Johannesburg must show the country that employment equity can work when implemented with integrity, fairness, and humanity.

  Speaker, I support the intention of this report, but urge that we approve its framework. We commit ourselves to its spirit, not only to its text. Let us lead the nation. Thank you.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:35:33Item 4 Informal Settlements Policy · 3 min 5 s

  Read what they said (365 words)

  Thank you, Madam Speaker.

  Okay.

  Thank you, Madam Speaker. Executive Mayor, members of the Mayoral Committee, fellow councillors, thank you for the opportunity to rise on item four, the City of Johannesburg Informal Settlements Policy. Speaker, Johannesburg is facing an undeniable reality. Informal settlements have grown by 117% between 2016 and 2024. That means that the number of informal settlements has more than doubled in just eight years.

  This growth reflects not only rapid urbanization, but also the desperation of families who cannot access affordable housing, affordable adequate housing. It is a symptom of a deeper crisis, not a cause. Speaker, we must ask a fundamental question. Do people want formalization or do they want proper, adequate housing? Because formalization without housing is not progress, it is paperwork.

  Communities living in informal settlements consistently tell us the same thing. They want dignity, safety, sanitation, electricity, and secure tenure. They want to raise their children in neighborhoods that are not hazardous, overcrowded, or cut off from opportunity. They want real homes, not just recognition of the structure they already live in. Speaker, uh, the policy, oops, let me just Speaker, the policy emphasizes minimum relocation,

  but many informal settlements are located in hazardous and inhumane conditions. Uh, floodplains, servitudes, and unstable land, and areas adjacent to tailings dams. The policy itself acknowledges this. Relocation applies to households which are in life-threatening conditions and warrants immediate intervention.

  The policy also encourages people in place wherever Yet the policy also encourages keeping people in place wherever possible.

  30 seconds, Councillor.

  This intention is dangerous. We cannot formalize risk. We cannot upgrade danger, and we cannot pretend that incremental approach will magically transform unsafe land and into sustainable human settlements. Speaker, formalization must never become a substitute for housing delivery. The city must be honest. Communities do not aspire to remain in informal settlements, they aspire to move out of them. They want proper houses,

  the serviced stands and well-located opportunities serviced stands and well-located opportunities. Speaker, our residents deserve more than recognition, they deserve homes. We must ensure that this policy does not become a management tool for poverty, but a transition plan out of poverty. Thank you.

• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:02:51Item 2 Draft Clean Air Zone Policy · 3 min 20 s

  Read what they said (418 words)

  Thank you, Speaker. Speaker of Council, Executive Mayor, members of the Mayoral Committee, fellow councillors, thank you for the opportunity to rise on item two, the Draft Clean Air Policy. Johannesburg is entering in a new deeply concerning phase of urban development. The city has already begun mining activities described as reclamation inside densely populated neighborhoods and more mining is planned in the near future.

  This is not speculation, it is happening now. Communities living near mine, mine tailings dams, unrehabilitated mine dumps and new mining sites are already experiencing dust, heavy metals and declining air quality. The risks will only intensify as mining expands. Speaker, the baseline assessment in this very item confirms that dust from mine tailings is one of the major contributors to poor air quality in Johannesburg.

  It also confirms that vulnerable communities, those already facing poverty, limited services and health burdens are the ones most exposed to dangerous pollution. These are the same communities now facing the added threat of mining in the urban jungle. Given this reality, I must express my strong opposition to the Clean Air Zone Policy in its current form. The city already has powerful legislation.

  The city already has powerful legislation to regulate hazardous environments. The Air Quality Act, the Municipal Systems Act, and the city's own air quality pollution control bylaws give us the authority to declare air quality management zones and air pollution control zones, effectively danger zones. With enforceable restrictions, these tools exist. They are strong, they are legally sound,

  and they designed for exactly the kind of high risk situations we now face with urban mining. Instead of using these existing mechanisms, the city is now proposing new categorization systems: red, amber, green, green zones. On paper, this looks structured, but in practice, categorizing communities near mines and tailings as red zones will create a stigma that has dire developmental consequences.

  A red zone label will signal to investors, developers, insurers, and banks that an area is permanently high risk. It will also depress property values. It will slow development. It will entrench environmental injustice, and it will normalize danger instead of eliminating it. Communities near mines will become sacrifice zones, trapped in a cycle of pollution, underinvestment, and declining

  quality of life. Speaker, mining will cost more lives than any air quality intervention can save if we do not regulate it properly. Air quality

  Councillor, your time is up.

  Thank you.

  Apologies for not alerting you, but your time is up.

  Thank you.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 07:12:0411 · 3 min 21 s

  Read what they said (397 words)

  Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, honourable councillors, members of the executive. This item speaks directly to one of the deepest structural injustices that still shapes our city: apartheid spatial planning. Decades after democracy, too many of our residents still wake up at 4:00 a.m., travel for hours and spend up to 40% of their income just to reach places of work,

  education and opportunity. This is not a legacy issue. It is an ongoing economic barrier that keeps families trapped in poverty. People must be able to work where they live. Item 11 gives us an opportunity to confront this injustice with the seriousness, with seriousness and urgency. It aligns with the growing national recognition, including proposals from Rise Mzansi and other civic actors,

  that South Africa must build homes closer to where people work, not someday, not theoretically, theoretically, but now, through the concrete, through concrete municipal action. Johannesburg cannot continue expanding outward while economic, economic activity concentrate, is, remains concentrated inward. We must reverse the pattern. That means densifying well-located land, converting underutilized buildings and ensuring that new developments

  are not pushed to the periphery where transport costs swallow household income. But colleagues, we must also be honest about the risks and watch points. First, funding. Well-located housing is more expensive to deliver, and Item 11 requires us to be clear about how co-funding will be secured, how partnerships will be structured and how we will protect the city from unfunded mandates.

  We cannot commit to plans that look good on paper, but collapse under financial pressure. Second, regulatory bottlenecks. If we do not streamline zoning, approvals and building control processes, we will continue losing years to red tape. Spatial justice cannot wait for administrative delays. Third, integration with transport. Housing closer to jobs only works if mobility is safe,

  affordable and reliable. We must ensure that Item 11 aligns with Rea Vaya, Metrobus and future corridor plans. Fourth, a community acceptance. Densification must be done responsibly with proper consultation so that communities feel included rather than displaced. Colleagues, Item 11 is not just a technical report. It is a moral commitment. It is a chance to reshape Johannesburg into a city where opportunity is not determined by your postal code,

  a city where families live near jobs, where children walk to school, and where economic participation is not punished by distance. Let us adopt Item

• 26 Aug 2026 · 06:07:036 · 2 min 56 s

  Read what they said (361 words)

  Speaker, Executive Mayor, members of the Mayoral Committee, fellow councillors, officials, and the residents of Johannesburg. Speaker, I rise to speak on Item 6.1. I stand here with humility, but also with clarity. Johannesburg is a city of immense potential, but also immense pressure. Our residents expect stability, accountability, and reliable services. They expect us to manage public finances responsibly,

  and they expect us to deliver. As council considers major programs, including the Global Environment Facility's Sustainable Cities Planning and Decarbonisation Program, we must recognize both the opportunity and the responsibility. The GEF-8 grant brings approximately 54 million into our city for rooftop solar, energy efficiency upgrades, modern metering, and net-zero planning. These are important interventions

  that can strengthen our resilience and reduce our reliance on Eskom. But the grant also requires a co-financing commitment of 117 million over three years. This is drawn from City Power's existing Medium-Term Financial Expenditure allocations. It is not new money. It is money already under pressure from ageing infrastructure, maintenance backlogs, and service delivery demands. This means we must be vigilant, we must ensure that multi-year commitments

  remain realistic. We must guard against procurement delays, exchange rate volatility, and a billing system that and billing system vulnerabilities that undermine revenue collection. And we must strengthen oversight over municipal entities, because they carry the weight of our commitments. If they fail, the city fails. If they succeed, the city succeeds. Delegation of authority to the City Manager and Executive Director

  for Environment and Infrastructure Services is normal and legally compliant, but delegation does not mean abdication. Council retains full oversight over City Power, over procurement, over budgets, and over reporting. Oversight is not a technicality; it is a safeguard.

  35 seconds.

  My commitment in this chamber is simple: to ensure that every rand we spend delivers measurable value; to ensure that every commitment we make is matched by the capacity to deliver; to ensure that Johannesburg plans realistically, spends wisely, and delivers consistently. Our residents deserve a city that is responsible, resilient, and ready for the future. I intend to play my part in making that a reality. Thank you, Speaker. The report is noted.

• 26 Aug 2026 · 04:35:38Item 38 · 3 min 2 s

  Read what they said (381 words)

  Thank you, Madam Speaker. Executive Mayor, members of the mayoral committee, fellow councillors, officials, and the residents of Johannesburg. Thank you for the privilege of addressing this chamber for the first time. Today, we consider item 38, the recruitment and appointment of the head of department, Public Safety. This is not a routine administrative matter. This is a decision that carries the weight of life and death for many residents.

  The report before us outlines a thorough recruitment process, and I've noticed the risks. Speaker, qualifications alone do not make a Public Safety head. Johannesburg is a city in pain. The communities of Westbury, Eldorado Park, Riverlea, Alexandra, Diepsloot, and Finetown are a bleeding are bleeding not metaphorically, but literally. Mothers bury their sons, children walk to school through gang territories,

  drug markets operate illegally, illegal firearms circulate freely, and our residents wait and wait for safety. Public safety is a municipal competency. It is not optional, it is not secondary, it is not something we outsource to national government. The city is the first responder in the in community safety through JMPD, EMS, uh Disaster Management, and our integrated urban safety strategies.

  Yet, Speaker, we have not seen proactive initiatives, and in many cases not even responsive action. Our communities call for help, and the silence is deafening. This is why item 38 matters. The incumbent The incumbent must understand the enormity of this post. Public Safety is not a ceremonial title, it is a battlefield command. It requires a leader who can develop

  a clear, measurable plan to combat gang violence,

  You have 50 seconds left.

  deploy JMPD strategically, not symbolically. Coordinate EMS and Disaster Management to respond rapidly to work to violent incidents. Work with SAPS structures, restore trust uh that community in communities that feel abandoned. If Council approves this appointment, then let it be clear, the City of Johannesburg expects and requires a Public Safety head who will confront gang violence head-on,

  who will reclaim our streets, and who will deliver safety to every community, not only those with loud voices or media attention. Our residents cannot wait another year. They cannot wait another month.

  You have 10 seconds left.

  Some cannot wait another day. Speaker, I support the recommendation only on the condition that the

Spoke on

• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:02:35Item 2: Draft Clean Air Zone Policy - councillor debate
• 30 Sept 2026 · 04:35:12Item 4: City of Johannesburg Informal Settlements Policy
• 30 Sept 2026 · 05:21:03Item 8: Revised Group Employment Equity Policy Framework
• 26 Aug 2026 · 04:31:05Item 38: Head of Department Public Safety debate (DA, GOOD, ActionSA, EFF)
• 26 Aug 2026 · 06:04:11Item 6: GEF grant funding, first round of party speakers
• 26 Aug 2026 · 07:11:13Items 11 and 12: Fairland development sales, GOOD, AIC and DA