Petunia Rakosa

Attendance

Present

63

Leave of absence

2

Absent without leave

0

Arrived late

1

Left early

1

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

1

Average wait to start

11 s

Average greetings first

30 s

How they speak (AI judgments by Jev) is shown from 10 transcribed lines; they have 8 so far.

Apology or leave of absence (2)

• 27 Aug 2026 · 00:12:29Leaving early. ActionSA: leaving early at 2:00. sitting
• 25 Jun 2026 · 00:53:28Leaving early. Leaving at 17:00. sitting

Warned or stopped by the chair (1)

• 26 Aug 2026 · 02:49:38Chair told her to switch off her microphone. sitting

In their words

Every time the chair gave them the floor in a transcribed sitting (1), 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.

• 22 Jul 2026 · 08:04:1938 · 3 min 49 s

  Read what they said (439 words)

  Thank you Speaker. Greetings to the Speaker, fellow councillors, members of media, guests in the gallery, residents of Johannesburg, all protocol observed. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on item 38. Third quarter report on the oversight activities of the Petitions Standing Committee for the period January to March 2026. And I must say from the outset

  this report exposes a system that is failing petitioners. As Action SA, our commitment is clear. That is to fix the city and to restore service delivery through clear governance and community-centred solutions. Madam Speaker, the Petitions Standing Committee has done its part under difficult conditions, but the same cannot be said for the broader administration and executive structures of the city.

  In this quarter, the committee met only once and the number of petitions closed in the quarter is not a success story, but a warning light. Residents turn to petitions when departments fail them. If the petitions system itself is overwhelmed, the council is failing residents twice. The report explicitly lists petitions' persistent problems as such,

  the 30-day turnaround rule that is being ignored by departments, unsigned petitions closure forms, failure to attend meetings by officials. Speaker, these are acts of disregard for council oversight, not administrative oversight. What message does it send to residents when departments feel no urgency to respond to their petitions? Even more concerning,

  council is told that no reports were received from Executive Mayor's Office, Speaker's Office, Chief Whip's Office and finance. How do we demand accountability from the line departments when political offices do not account? We continue to see petitions about roads and traffic safety, illegal land use and unregulated businesses,

  informal settlements and housing delays. These are not new issues. They are systematic failure that the council has been discussing for years. Petitions are no longer exceptions, they are becoming a norm. The report notes the commitment by Speaker to assist with a specific project to reduce the backlog of petitions. Madam Speaker, commitments without timelines are not solutions,

  they are deferral. As ActionSA, we demand clear timeframes, clear responsibility and clear consequences for non-compliance. If this council is serious about being responsive, then petitions must be treated as urgent service delivery alerts, not paperwork. Until departments are compelled to respond on time, until political offices lead by example, until backlogs are decisively addressed,

  this report will repeat itself quarter after quarter and that will be a failure of oversight and a failure of leadership. As ActionSA, ActionSA is dedicated to creating an ethical, capable and responsive city where residents get the service delivery they deserve. We note this report with those.

Spoke on

• 22 Jul 2026 · 08:02:03Item 38: Petitions Standing Committee Q3 report