Transcript: 40th Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting

Opening of the 40th Extraordinary Council Meeting

00:08:31Thank you Councillors, you may be seated.

00:09:09Good morning Councillors. It is hereby notified that the 40th Extraordinary Council Meeting of the City of Johannesburg Municipality will be held on Wednesday the 18th of June at 10:00 a.m. at Constance Connie Bapela Council Chamber in Braamfontein and the first item on the agenda is opening.

00:09:30Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Sello Morero, Whip of Council, Councillor Nkosiphayo Zungu, Chair of Chairs, Councillor Vonani Marema, all Political Party Leaders and Whips, Members of the Mayoral Committee, Chairpersons of the Section 79 Committees, fellow Councillors, Acting City Manager, Mr Tshepo Makola,

00:10:00Secretary to Council Mr Andile Gobinca, Officials of the City of Johannesburg, Residents of the City of Johannesburg, members of the media, ladies and gentlemen. I welcome you all to the 40th Extraordinary Council Meeting of the City of Johannesburg Municipality. Councillors as you all are aware, we've lost one of our own. Councillor Buthelezi has passed on.

00:10:29I would like to therefore express my heartfelt condolences to the Buthelezi family, the entire ANC caucus and the community of 130 where he was a Ward Councillor. This is so sad losing our Councillors like this. It's not the first Councillor we are losing this year. Can we stand once more for a moment of silence in honour of the late Councillor Buthelezi.

00:11:20Thank you Councillors, you may be seated.

Quorum verification

00:11:35At this point I will allow 10 minutes to verify the number of Councillors present so as to confirm quorum. It's 10:10. We'll continue at 10:20. I'm worried about the number of Councillors we have represented in Council today. If you haven't signed the register outside, please do so now. Whips of all the different Political Parties please speak to your caucuses whoever is on their way so they can come and we can proceed with business of the day.

00:12:07We'll proceed at 10:20.

00:26:59Councillors, it's 10:25.

00:27:06Please note that there are 183 Councillors present. As a result, there is quorum and the meeting will continue.

Applications for leave of absence

00:27:31Councillors, we now proceed to applications for leave of absence.

00:27:39We have received the following apologies from Councillor Mokwena, APC, private business, Councillor Harris, ACDP, private business, Councillor Mkhonza, ACDP, private business, Councillor Mpolobosho, AHC, private business, Councillor Pelzer from Freedom Front Plus, private business, Councillor Cook from the GOOD Party, private business,

00:28:08and Councillor Abdool, private business. Do we have any further apologies? I see Councillor Makhuba, Councillor Simonse, Councillor Mogapi, Councillor Mposula, and Councillor Avant-Smith, in that order, please.

00:28:34Honourable Speaker for the IFP, Councillor Mkhize, is out of the province, family bereavement.

00:28:44Noted.

00:28:44isiZuluSiyabonga, Khansela.

00:28:46Councillor Simonse.

00:28:50Good morning, Madam Speaker, good morning to the house. We have two apologies. MMC Kunene is running a bit late, and Councillor Marilyn Smouse, family bereavement. Thank you.

00:29:03Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Mogapi.

00:29:08Thank you, Speaker. Greetings everyone. From the EFF, it's Councillor Molefe, ill-health. Councillor Dladla, running late. Thank you.

00:29:19Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Mposula.

00:29:27Thank you, Speaker. Good morning. I have got Councillor Ayanda Mchunu, ill-health, Councillor Sarah Wissler, private business, Councillor Chris Mohlala, ill-health, Councillor Nicole Johnson, running late, Councillor Mkhonto, party business, Councillor Chuma, late arrival, and Councillor Ramaru, late arrival. Thank you so much, Speaker.

00:29:55Noted, Councillor. Councillor Avant-Smith.

00:29:59Thank you.

00:30:00Thank you, Speaker. Good morning, everybody. We have Councillor Huggett on private business, Councillor Hoon on council business, Councillor Shawe, Councillor Fourie-Shawe, Councillor Christians, Councillor Bittkau, all on ill health. And then we have Councillor Meyers and Councillor Mazibuko writing exams, and Councillor Roberts on private business. Councillor Echeozonjoku will be slightly late, and Councillor Mphefo is running late as well. Thank you.

00:30:30And Councillor Chabalala, ill health. Sorry. Thank you.

00:30:34Noted, Councillor. Councillor Karolia.

00:30:39Morning, Speaker. Apologies from Al Jama-ah. Both our councillors, Councillor Gwamanda and Councillor Amad Thapelo are on party business. Thank you.

00:30:50Noted, Councillor. I don't see any other hand. Are the apologies noted? Thank you, Councillors.

Caucus breaks requested by ANC and PA

00:31:10Chair of Chairs.

00:31:14Thank you very much, Speaker. The ANC caucus is asking for a 30 minutes break.

00:31:28Chair of Chairs, it's 10:30. Can you all be back at 11:00. The caucus break is granted.

01:11:36Thank you, Chair of Chair. Before we continue, I see your hand is up, Councillor Simonse.

01:11:43Thank you, Madam Speaker. Um the Patriotic Alliance is asking for a 30-minute caucus, please.

01:12:00Councillors, um the PA has asked for a 30 minutes caucus break, which means we'll come back at 22:12. Your caucus break has been granted, Councillor Simonse.

Item 1: Executive Mayor tables the African Development Bank loan

01:45:35that's our third item.

01:45:38Executive Mayor, Councillor Sello Dada Morero.

01:45:56SesothoHaa mara ka etsa ntshwe. Oh tsela e ke tse ntjha.

01:46:01Uh Speaker of Council, Chief Whip I hereby stand to table this recommendations to council for consideration, thank you.

01:46:15Thank you, Executive Mayor.

01:46:24We're now in the first item in the recommendations to council, which is item one. That's the loan funding for the 2024/25 financial year, and that's for African Development Bank.

Item 1 debate: ActionSA rejects the loan

01:46:39The first speaker we have from our list is from Action SA, Councillor Nkonyeni.

01:46:53Uh Honourable Speaker Executive Mayor, members of the Mayoral Committee, fellow councillors and most importantly the residents of Johannesburg today this council is once again presented with a report that seeks our approval for the city to enter into a new long term loan agreement amounting to R2.6 billion with the African Development Bank. This loan carries a 15-year repayment term at a significant total costclaim

01:47:23to the residents of Johannesburg estimated at nearly 5 billion considerando interest fees and other charges over its lifespan. It is the view of Action SA as it has always been that this city's habitual resorting to borrowing is unsustainable and contrary to the principles of sound financial management as required under the Municipal Finance Management Act the Municipal Systems Act and the guidelinesclaim

01:47:52of the Auditor General of South Africa. We cannot in good conscience endorse this latest proposal because the city has failed to collect what is owed to it, cut wasteful expenditure or deliver value on the capital projects these loans are meant to fund. Speaker, the city has not tabled a comprehensive report outlining one, the repayment status of the current and prior loans, whether repayments are up to dateclaim

01:48:20the real debt burden on the city's operational finances. How can this council authorize new debt when we do not know the true financial implications of debts we already owe? We demand that this information be tabled before any further debt commitments are made. The administration cannot convincingly claim that borrowing is the only solution to the city's infrastructure and capital needs when its own revenue collection performance is poorclaim

01:48:51and compromised. While we recognize that loans form part of the funding model billions remain uncollected from municipal rates, service charges and housing rentals on city-owned properties. Outdoor advertising opportunities are not maximized, law enforcement to curb illegal connections remains weak. We remind this council that the MFMA and the Auditor General repeatedly emphasize revenue optimization as a key requirement for financial sustainability.claim

01:49:20This requirement is and has been repeatedly ignored by the city in its rush to borrow more debt. The city is infamous for its bloated organizational structures underperforming workers who draw salaries, but provide no service a decentralized human resource model characterized by ambiguous roles and a duplication of posts that inflate the wage bill an unsustainable personnel cost that consumes nearly 40%claim

01:49:50of the operating budget. Until the city implements a thorough institutional review, Action SA will not support additional debt. The city cannot keep borrowing money to fund an inefficient institution. Auditor General has issued repeat findings against the city for one, poor contract management, two, cost overruns, three, failed or incomplete capital projects, four, payments made for undelivered work.claim

01:50:20And yet these very projects are supposedly what this loan is intended to finance. Why should council approve this debt if historical CAPEX projects that were supposedly funded by similar loans remain unfinished and defective? The Bomb Squad. We are still waiting for the detailed financial implications of high profile, but questionable initiatives like the Bomb Squad. What is the full cost to ratepayers for these operations? What additional liabilities are created that may affect

01:50:50loan repayments? Before anymore debt is incurred, the city must provide clarity on all new financial risks. This loan will not deliver financial sustainability. Speaker the terms of this loan are alarming, 2.5 billion principal debt with a total estimated repayment of nearly 5 billion, including interest and fees, a front-end fee of R28.7 million payable immediately. At the same time, the city's turnaround strategy is yet to yield any meaningful

01:51:20results. What is more concerning is that number one, the city has no intention to reduce expenses

01:51:27You still have 10 minutes.

01:51:31Oh, okay. The city has no intention to reduce expenses and is no evidence of improved project delivery. Thus, this loan like others before it will not drive sustainable development, but only deepen the city's debt burden. Action SA rejects this proposed loan. We do so because the city lacks detailed loan repayment reports, ignores potential revenue streams and operational savings, refuses to cut wasteful expenditure

01:52:01avoids implementing institutional reforms, has failed to deliver value on CAPEX projects and does not account for the true financial impact of the new initiatives like the Bomb Squad. Speaker, let us finally break the cycle of borrowing without reform. Johannesburg deserves better. I thank you.

Item 1 debate: DA opposes

01:52:31Thank you, Councillor Nkonyeni. DA, Councillor Santana.

01:52:36Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on item one, the loan funding for the 2024/2025 financial year the African Development Bank. Madam Speaker it's with regret that I find the City of Johannesburg consistently trying to get long-term funding in essence trying to fund short term funding. And the reason why I'm saying that we find ourselves in a position where we have yet to actually have a funded budget. Our collection rate is still behindclaim

01:53:06the budgeted collection rate as the adjustment budget in this council of which was 89% and we're still only at 85%. And if we look at the repayments that are due on all our loans per quarter, we're almost going to be at over R400 million per quarter based on the three loans that [inaudible]. If we extrapolate that out we are already sitting in a cash crisis and a cash crunch. We have believed, and we've said this in the adjustment budget of the Democratic Allianceclaim

01:53:36go collect your rates and taxes because that in alone is R12 billion. We don't need this loan. The only reason why I think we need this loan is to settle the short term loan from the DBSA of 2.8 billion coming up at the end of this month, the 30th of June. So we're going to stealing from Peter to pay Paul at this point in time. And we will not support that at all ever. If we look at our progress in terms of our capital projectsclaim

01:54:06it's the same issues underlying. We have capital projects that yet to start. We send back free money from National Treasury. So I don't think we've been taken serious enough that if we're sending back free money why must we go loan money? Deal with what we have first. Collect what we need to collect and then we will consider taking out loans for the shortfall. So as far as I'm concerned, our budget remains unfunded and we'll not support this budget. Thank you.claim

Item 1 debate: ACDP and Freedom Front Plus oppose

01:54:36Thank you, Councillor Santana. ACDP, Councillor Rohlssen.

01:54:43Thank you very much, uh Madam Speaker. I greet you all in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. Greetings to you, Madam Speaker, Executive Mayor, MMCs councillors, distinguished guests, and residents of Johannesburg. Madam Speaker, I rise on item one, the loan funding for the 2024/2025 financial year from the African Development Bank. Madam Speaker, the ACDP understands that the taking of a loanclaim

01:55:13may sometimes be necessary, but only in emergency situations when there is a crisis. A loan can then be taken only on a short-term basis in an effort to prevent excessive interest repayments. In this situation however, Madam Speaker, the ACDP vehemently opposes the application of yet another loan because we believe that no concerted effort has been madeclaim

01:55:43to recoup monies already owed to the city, which amount to a staggering R63 billion as a whole. And the monies that are received and the city currently has are not being used wisely. This loan cannot be allowed to pass as it further compromises an already fragile local economy and will be another slap in the face of future generationsclaim

01:56:12who with the total accumulation of this specific loan will have to pay back just under R5 billion. This the ACDP says is totally unacceptable and we oppose this loan application. God bless South Africa, God bless the sovereign State of Israel. I thank you.claim

01:56:39Thank you, Councillor. Freedom Front Plus, Councillor Boer.

01:56:43Good morning, Madam Speaker, all councillors, um all protocols observed. Um we also rise on item number one. The Freedom Front does reject this loan funding of 2.5 billion. We sat with the MMC and the mayor, and we presented to them a workable solution to get the city out of the financial crisis. Um it was not taken over. Um and again, what we want to do is we want to borrow we want to put the city intoclaim

01:57:14bigger debt, bigger repayments [inaudible] the service delivery that we want to get out of this. Um we cannot carry on like this. The city is in a situation where we increase our taxes to our residents, burden them even more. Uh we go out, borrow money, burden the city even more instead of doing the right things. There's R64 billion owed to the city.claim

01:57:44Um go and collect this money. We're writing off every year R8 billion in debt impairment. We're writing off R5 billion to non-revenue water and electricity. Those two items together is R13 billion. Address those items um instead of putting the city in further debt and in a further repayment um of interest. Um what is concerning about this loan, the first repayment is only due in September 2026. So for 15 monthsclaim

01:58:15we are having this loan paying interest on it to the extent of at least about R300 million before we even start repaying one single cent on this loan. This is putting our city for the future in such a financial constraint. Um we have to start doing the right things. We can collect the money and we can limit our non-revenue cost and by doing that and wasting our expenses, we do not need to raise any loans. The Freedom Front reject this loan in total. Thank you, Madam Speaker.claim

Item 1 debate: UDM supports with conditions

01:58:49Thank you, Councillor Boer. UDM, Councillor Zigebe.

01:59:00Madam Speaker, the item before us today is not a fresh request to borrow. That decision was already taken in March of this year when this council approved the raising of 2.7 billion in external debt for capital expenditure in the 2024/25 financial year. What we are now being asked to consider is the final approval of a specific agreement, the 2.5 billion to be secured from the African Development Bank. The deal has been negotiated, the terms are outlined, and council is asked to authorizeclaim

01:59:30its signing and execution. Let us deal with the facts, not in abstraction, but in alignment with our duty to protect the financial integrity of this city and the developmental needs of our residents. The proposed loan is structured over 15 years. It's amortizing with no grace period. The interest rate is floating, linked to the three-month JIBAR plus up to 2.30% with a funding margin of up to 0.23%. There is also a front-end fee of oneclaim

02:00:001.15 percent equating to just under 29 million due upon signature. The projected total repayments sits just under 5 billion with quarterly repayments of over 81 million. That is what we are locking the city into over the next decade and a half. Now let us be clear. The report confirms that all legal and procedural requirements have been met, the public was notified, the National and Provincial Treasuries were consulted. This loan was tabled before Council in April for informationclaim

02:00:29and the draft agreement is now before us for final approval. [inaudible] all is in order. Our responsibilities go beyond ticking compliance boxes. This loan is not just a line item. It is a long-term obligation that will be serviced by future budgets. It is our responsibility to interrogate not only the legality of the agreement, but the practicality, the risks and the projected outcomes. What are we borrowing for and what will we deliver?

02:00:59Have the departments that will be allocated those funds demonstrated readiness to spend efficiently and ethically? Are these projects shovel ready or will the city be paying quarterly instalments on a loan that has not yet hit the ground? Are we prepared for the risk that the interest rate linked to JIBAR may climb over time, placing a heavier burden on our budget than anticipated? And finally, are we ensuring that communities, especially those historically excluded, are prioritised in the rollout of these capital projects?

02:01:29We cannot be a council that has approved loans that resulted in underperformance, underspending and thereby losing public trust. We cannot afford to do those mistakes. Madam Speaker, UDM is not opposed to borrowing, when structured prudently and deployed transparently. Debt can be a powerful developmental tool and the African Development Bank is a credible development-focused institution,

02:01:51but support for this item must come with enforceable expectation. This loan must not fund inefficiency. It must not subsidize poor contract management. It must deliver infrastructure that transforms communities.

02:02:04Thirty seconds.

02:02:05And so I propose the following to accompany our approval of this agreement. A dedicated AFDB loan delivery dashboard must be developed and published quarterly, tracking disbursements, project milestones and repayment obligations. This dashboard must be accessible to Council and to the public. The office of the City Manager must table a quarterly compliance and impact report detailing expenditure per project, job creation numbers and any risk flags associated with JIBAR fluctuations.

02:02:32A multi-party loan oversight task team must be established to track delivery, audit contracts and act on warning signs early. We cannot be reactive, but we must be proactive. Finally, all procurement linked to this loan must include at least 30 percent community beneficiation, so that the infrastructure we build also builds local economies. Approving this loan must not end with a signature. It must begin a process of delivery marked by discipline, transparency and urgency. We should not fear debt when it is developmentally driven.

02:03:02We should fear waste, silence and missed opportunity.

02:03:05isiZuluKancane nje Speaker.

02:03:06Let us approve this loan not as a symbolic gesture,

02:03:16Thank you, Councillor Zigebe.

02:03:18isiZuluNgikuphile

02:03:2020 seconds extra, aii.

Item 1 debate: AIC supports the loan

02:03:26We will move over to AIC, Councillor Mhlongo.

02:03:37Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Let me just greet you, Madam Speaker, Councillor Nobuhle Mthembu; Executive Mayor, Councillor Dada Morero; members of the Executive Committee; Chief Whip of Council, Councillor Zungu; Chair of Chairs, Councillor Adolph Marema. I greet you all.

02:04:00And I also greet all the councillors in the house, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today is a defining moment in the life of this Council and this city. We are being called not just to vote on a loan agreement, but to decide whether we truly mean it when we say we are building a Johannesburg that works for all.

02:04:22As the African Independent Congress, a party forged in the fires of forgotten communities and the struggle for spatial justice, we fully support the City of Johannesburg's decision to secure the 2.5 billion non-sovereign guaranteed loan from the African Development Bank of South Africa.claim

02:04:42Why, Madam Speaker? This is the reason: because this loan is not about politics; it's about people. It's not about debt; it's about development, a loan with purpose, not politics. This is not reckless borrowing. It is targeted, strategic and purpose-driven, dedicated solely to infrastructure.

02:05:02The CAPEX project to be funded are critical to day-to-day survival of our communities. Let me break it down, Madam Speaker. Electricity: the loan will fund seven strategic upgrades from transmission plants to public lightning and from smart meters to fire suppression systems in the substations.claim

02:05:25It will enable us to electrify informal settlement, places where our people have lived in darkness for years. It will reduce illegal connections and help the city shift from Eskom dependency to energy independence. Water: it will fund the replacement and renewal of ageing infrastructure,

02:05:45improve reservoirs, bulk mains and consumer meters in a climate-threatened country. This loan is a defense against water insecurity. Waste water and sanitation: it will modernize treatment works, reduce sewer backlogs and spillage and help us reach our goal of Green Drop compliance by 2028.

02:06:09We are talking about basic human dignity. Social waste: the funding will help upgrade landfills and recycling facilities. Communities from Diepkloof to Orange Farm suffer the indignity of illegal dumping. This loan is a response to that cry, a loan aligned to strategy and accountability. The AIC is satisfied that this loan is not a blank cheque. The African Development

02:06:33Thirty seconds.

02:06:34isiZuluYo, Speaker, kanjalo nje.

02:06:36isiZuluHawu, kancane nje, Speaker, hawu. Madam Speaker, masinyane kangaka.

02:06:42Madam Speaker, as the African Independent Congress, we support this loan and the principles are very clear. Our funding values are a demand that public funds are used for people-first priorities. Rural and peri-urban communities are not left behind. Development is inclusive and municipalities act financial responsibility and foresight.

02:07:05Madam Speaker, this is a pro-poor loan, a pro-service loan and a pro-transformation loan. Let us not become gatekeepers of underdevelopment. Let us not delay progress with red tape wrapped in rhetoric. Let us vote not with our egos, but with our conscience. The AIC supports the adoption of this loan, because if we are serious about Johannesburg, we must invest in Johannesburg we have.

02:07:30SesothoKe a leboga,

02:07:31Madam Speaker.

02:07:32XitsongaNdza khensa.

02:07:33isiXhosaEnkosi.

02:07:33Thank you.

02:07:35isiZuluSiyabonga,

02:07:36Councillor Mhlongo.

02:07:38isiZuluBengingafuni ukukukhatha lapho ubuza ukuthi kancane njengo

Item 1 debate: EFF begins, speech interrupted by medical emergency

02:07:40Councillor Zigebe next to you. We will move over to the EFF, Councillor Zitha.

02:07:53Caucus leader of the EFF, Caucus Whip, 29 battalion and you, Madam Speaker, Honourable Mayor. I would like to begin by congratulating the EFF on a successful rally held in Umlazi, KZN, and the Soweto Uprising walk. I also extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the 12 young fighters of our movement who tragically lost their lives in a devastating accident.claim

02:08:24Our thoughts and prayers are also with the family of my late brother, Thulani Buthelezi. Speaker, EFF rise on this item with clarity, purpose and principle. The City of Johannesburg is seeking to enter into a loan agreement with the AFDB for 2.5 billion. This is a 15 loan repayable in a quarterly instalment at a floating interest rate of three-month JIBAR plusclaim

02:08:532.30 percent with an additional funding margin of 0.23 percent. The estimated total repayment is nearly 4.94 billion, an eye-watering 2.44 billion in an interest and associated cost. The front-end fee alone is 28.75 million, money that won't fix a single pothole or connect a single household to electricity.claim

02:09:23Speaker, the EFF support borrowing for capital investment. We support infrastructure development that uplift the working class and the poor. We also support partnership that strengthen state capacity, but we do not support borrowing in a vacuum. We will never be a party to loans that enrich the fewer, reinforce inefficiency or burden future generation with debt that delivers no development value.claim

02:09:49Let us be honest. This loan is being considered, because the city has failed on its core duty of prudent financial management. Each year we are back here, borrowing more, because revenue collection is broken, corruption persists and consequence management is absent. How can we justify new borrowing with billing remain chaotic, with residents billed accurately and not at all? How can we take more debt when revenue collection systems are not disaggregated,

02:10:21Councillor Zitha, please hold on. [00:10:23] [no speech]

02:10:52Okay, councillors, maybe we should just take five minutes, so that they take care of our councillor, then we'll continue. [00:11:00] [no speech]

Item 1 debate: EFF restarts and supports with demands

02:19:22So we can continue. Councillor Zitha, your speech got interrupted. So you can choose to start from the beginning or continue with the time you have.

02:19:37isiZuluUyaqala or uyaqhubeka?

02:19:40I can start, Speaker.

02:19:42Okay.

02:19:43Let me just start.

02:19:54Okay. You can start, Councillor.

02:20:00Greetings again to you, Speaker. I hope Councillor Mmbengwa is okay wherever he is. We would like to rise on this item with clarity, purpose and principle. The City of Johannesburg is seeking to enter into a loan agreement with the African Development Bank for 2.5 billion. This is a 15-year loan repayable in quarterly instalment

02:20:28at a floating rate of three-month JIBAR plus up to 2.30 percent with an additional funding margin of 0.23 percent. The estimated total repayment is nearly 4.94 billion on an eye-watering 2.44 billion in interest and associated costs. The front-end fee alone is 28.75 million, money that won't fix single pothole or connect single household to electricity.claim

02:20:58EFF support borrowing for capital investment. We support infrastructure development that uplift the working class and the poor and we support partnership that strengthen state capacity, but we do not support borrowing in a vacuum. We will never be a party to loans that enrich the fewer, reinforce inefficiency or burden future generation with debt that delivers no development value.claim

02:21:25Let us be honest. This loan is being considered, because the city have failed in its core duty of prudent financial management. Each year we are back here, borrowing more, because revenue collection is broken, corruption persists and consequence management is absent. Can we justify new borrowing when billing remain chaotic, with residents billed incorrectly or not at all?

02:21:51How can we take more debt when revenue collection system are not disaggregated, making it impossible to identify which debt are collectible and which are not? And how do we move forward when the recovery strategy exists for grant return to National Treasury due to underperformance?

02:22:12The EFF says we cannot fix fiscal leaks with more loans. What the city really need is just funding, but a serious overhaul of its financial systems. We must track collectibles versus non-collectibles, digitize revenue streams and hold department accountable for underspending and fruitless expenditure. Moreover, Speaker [inaudible]

02:22:38compliant, but politically and socially disconnected. Yes, the public was notified in newspaper and the website in line with section 21A of [inaudible] Were the people meaningfully engaged? Did they understand the long-term implications or was this another case of ticking legal boxes while ignoring democratic participation? We agree [inaudible]

02:23:08our support is not blind. It is unconditional. It is watchful. We demand the following concrete actions.

Procedural dispute: requests to adjourn for the ill councillor

02:23:14Councillor Zitha, please hold on. Councillor.

02:23:22Speaker. Speaker, we wanted to ask how are we continuing while we have got one of our colleagues is not good, but we are [inaudible] business as normal? Can't we adjourn until we get the feedback [inaudible]

02:23:43SesothoKa leboga,

02:23:44Councillor Modupi, for raising that. Councillor Mmbengwa is here in the holding room.

02:23:54isiZuluNgiqeda ukumbona wona njalo.

02:23:55He's being attended to by the medical professionals.

02:24:00SesothoEne akere ga gona

02:24:01point of order.

02:24:01SesothoKhanselara wa rona o ya tswela pele ka

02:24:03speech

02:24:03Sesothosa gage, akere?

02:24:10Madam Speaker, [inaudible] I was clear that we need to get the feedback even from the health [inaudible] Seeing him, that does not mean that he has recovered. If we can get the feedback that our colleague is now fine, thank you.

02:24:27SesothoKa leboga,

02:24:28Councillor Modupi.

02:24:29SesothoBa sa mo

02:24:31attenda. They can't give us feedback, because he's being attended to. Councillor Zitha, please finish.

02:24:46Thank you very much. Speaker, am I protected?

02:24:49You are protected and Councillor is being attended in the holding room.

02:24:57Councillors, councillors, councillors, Madam Speaker, oh, oh, oh,

02:25:07oh. Councillors, please, we know

02:25:10Sesothogore

02:25:13we know [inaudible] we've just lost one of our councillors due to tragic circumstances and obviously this thing will lead to councillors being traumatized and reliving the death that we just had in the ANC of Councillor Buthelezi. And I think it would be prudent for you, Madam Speaker, we are not saying the session should not proceed. No, don't get us wrong.

02:25:38We are saying councillors are reliving the trauma that we are currently facing right now and it will be prudent on your side, Speaker, to just say 30 minutes. I know you've seen, but just to give confidence to councillors that everything is okay, because continuing under this dark cloud, it is something that is unfortunate. So please, we are begging you. We are not hamstringing this process from continuing,

02:26:02but we are saying give us time, just 10 minutes, so that councillors can console themselves, because I saw other councillors were teary-eyed because of what the scene that just happened. So it might have a detrimental effect on us. So I'm begging you, it's not disrespect, but I'm begging you that let's give it just 15 minutes so that councillors maybe can go and see him and at least be at ease, then we continue,

02:26:24Sesothofela.

02:26:25We are not saying anything more than that. Thank you very much.

02:26:28SesothoGo utlwile,

02:26:29Councillor Raphadu, before

02:26:31Sesothogo fetola

02:26:31MMC Kunene.

02:26:35Madam Speaker, I heard when the councillor made a proposal that we must stand down whilst the councillor is being attended to, on the right there were many nos. We are Africans, Madam Speaker. We must have a sense of

02:26:54isiZuluubuntu.

02:26:55People ask here for caucuses for useless things and they get time. We are just saying the man came out, walked out of here screaming. All that we are saying, can we have 15 minutes, 30 minutes, so that the man can be attended to and he's one of our own? You don't have to oppose everything just because you are in the opposition.

02:27:22We are talking about

02:27:24isiZuluubuntu,

02:27:25Sesothobotho.

02:27:25We know some of you don't have it on the right, but we have it. Can, please, Madam Speaker, can we please stand down for 30 minutes whilst the gentleman is being attended, whilst the councillor, one of us, is being attended to? Thank you very much.

02:27:48Councillors, I think

02:27:49isiZuluumuntu okhulume kahle

02:27:50uCouncillor Raphadu and MMC Kunene. I think you guys

02:27:53isiZulunikhulume kahle

02:27:54unlike

02:27:54isiZuluabanye. Nayichaza kahle,

02:27:56because

02:27:57isiZuluasilwi.

02:27:58So

02:27:58isiZulunikhulume kahle.

02:28:00One thing

02:28:00isiZulubengisho ukuthi

02:28:01let's let Councillor Zitha finish, because she

02:28:04isiZuluangithi niyaunderstanda.

02:28:04Let's let her finish. That's what I was pushing,

02:28:08isiZuluukuthi

02:28:09let's not interrupt uCouncillor Zitha for the second time. Let's grant her opportunity to finish. Then we will check uCouncillor. So, Councillor Raphadu, I see your Chief Whip is not in Council. I will refer to you and Councillor Marema in regards to your caucus. Let's give the EFF councillor time to finish her speech at least.

02:28:36I'm starting afresh, Speaker.

02:28:39Councillor Zitha. Councillor Zitha.

02:28:46No, I was speaking through you, Speaker. I don't know why am I being attacked.

02:28:49Hundred percent, my councillor. Councillor Zitha, you are left with one minute, neh?

02:29:07With the sense of

02:29:08isiZuluubuntu,

02:29:08Speaker, because I was stopped so many times, can I be given two minutes?

02:29:18Councillor Zitha, with the sense of

02:29:20isiZuluubuntu,

02:29:21you can continue. Two minutes and that's it, no extra.

02:29:26That's Speaker of the people. Speaker, we demand the following concrete action: firstly, the loan must be ring-fenced for infrastructure in under-deserved communities like Orange Farm, Diepsloot, Ennerdale and other historically marginalized areas, no more financing a vanity project in Sandton while Soweto decay; secondly, a loan oversight committee must be established, comprised of councillors from all parties, civil society and financial experts,

02:30:00to monitor expenditure on a quarterly basis and report publicly. Thirdly, all contracts linked to this loan must be subjected to transparent procurement processes with contractor's performance published publicly. Fourthly, the city must reform its revenue system by implementing a mechanism to track collectibles and non-collectibles, improving billing accuracy and auditing all revenue

02:30:30points before another borrowing application is submitted. Lastly, quarterly progress report must be tabled in council detailing project performance, delays and corrective actions. Only through such mechanism can we ensure that this 2.5 billion loan does not become another figure in the city growing debt register. But a tool of transformation that touches lives and delivers justice. Speaker, borrowing must be the last resort not a habit

02:31:00and debt must build the city, not bloat it. The Economic Freedom Fighters therefore support the recommendation in this report, but with firm resolve to exercise oversight, demand transparency and propose practical solution for doing better. We'll not rest until this loan translates into real measurable dignified development for our people. We approve, but we'll not forget. We will watch.

02:31:30We will demand answers and we'll fight for accountability. Thank you, Speaker.

02:31:39isiZuluSiyabonga, Councillor Zitha.

Ten-minute break for the ill councillor

02:31:41Councillors, Councillor Mmbengwa is in the ambulance. We'll take a 10 minutes break, but no one is allowed to get into the ambulance. 10 minutes break, no one is allowed to get into the ambulance, he's been attended to. You can go check him

02:31:54isiZulunizoma ngaphandle

02:31:55[inaudible]. It's 12:30, we'll resume at 12:40. [00:02:02] [no speech]

Item 1 debate: PA (MMC Kunene) supports and complains about sabotage of community meetings

02:50:14I advised him to go home, by the time I left he was being attended. So we have three speakers on our list. From the PA, MMC Kunene, from COPE,

02:50:31Councillor Mokome, from ATM, Councillor Magwentshu, and then we have ANC, Councillor Radebe. We'll start with from the PA, with MMC Kunene.

02:50:49Madam Speaker,

02:50:50Sorry, MMC, you have 3 minutes.

02:50:55Madam Speaker, we obviously are going to support this particular item. Uh we need to implement service delivery. We need

02:51:06Sorry, MMC, Councillors at the back, please let's settle down. You can continue, MMC.

02:51:16Yes, with the teething problems that we have, we must still work with what we are able to collect and implement service delivery. But let me take this opportunity, Madam Speaker, to also make the statement that I had spoken to you about. Madam Speaker, when we implement operation restore in the communities, the communities will tell us that where we have identified to work is not

02:51:46a priority for them. Can we go to another street or another section? Be it the storm water, be it roads. And now I have decided that before we do operation restore, we will go to the communities, communicate with them, so that they tell us what to prioritize. But Madam Speaker, there are councillors that are sabotaging those meetings. It is not for me, I am just going to communities. I don't want us to politicize service delivery.

02:52:18Whether it's opposition, whether it's in the GLU, if the community wants to see us as MMCs, allow us so that we can go and be there. My office communicates with the RD and the RD communicate with councillors, invite them. But I am finding a problem where we commit resources when we get to the venue, then we are told that the councillor has sent messages that people must not attend these sessions. I don't have a problem if they don't attend.

02:52:48But then once you miss that date, I must go to other wards, I'm not coming back to that ward until I finished all the other wards. We have to work with what we have, we have to listen to communities, we have to prioritize what communities want.

02:53:01MMC, please hold on, I see a hand from my left. Councillor, sorry I can't see your tag from that side.

02:53:09Thank you, point of order Chair, I thought we were on an agenda

02:53:13Please move closer to the mic.

02:53:15Sorry. I thought we were discussing two items today on the agenda. This doesn't seem to be on the agenda for today. Can we please stick to the agenda and carry on with the meeting? Thank you.

02:53:29The culprit has just exposed herself. One of them. So Madam Speaker, I'm talking about the implementation of this budget, how we implement it. So if you have a

02:53:47MMC Kunene,

02:53:48If you have pains, there's Myprodol.

02:53:50SetswanaEma hanyane,

02:53:51MMC. Councillor Sifumba.

02:53:53Thank you, Speaker. Can we please respect each other? We don't have culprits in this chamber. Can Councillor Kunene refer to the councillor as he should? Thank you, Speaker.

02:54:03Councillor Sifumba. MMC, you have 1 minute remaining.

02:54:12Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. If the shoe fits, wear it. Madam Speaker, Madam Speaker, ours is to serve communities. So I'm appealing to all the councillors to work with us so that we are also assisting councillors. Because they are the ones that are on the ground. So these meetings are important because we work with councillors in those meetings.

02:54:41I just wanted to raise that. The Patriotic Alliance, the fastest growing political party in the country, the party with nine seats in parliament that has just been joined by a member of parliament who is very much dissatisfied where he was supports this particular item. Thank you very much. Salute.

02:55:01AfrikaansOns baiza nie.

Item 1 debate: COPE and ATM support

02:55:05Gangsters. Hey, MMC Kunene. We'll move over to COPE, Councillor Mokome.

02:55:17Thank you, Madam Speaker. All protocol observed. I hope colleagues

02:55:34Yes, thank you Madam Speaker. The COPE, Congress of the People supports the debt in terms of the fact that due diligence has been done that's based on calculated risk, risk management, but also juxtaposed by the fact that once again there's been that call

02:56:03to say internal controls with specific reference to debt collection has to be brought into play moving forward. So in that regard, Madam Speaker, we must keep going in terms of running this city. I'd like to thank you.

02:56:30SesothoKea leboga,

02:56:31Councillor Mokome. ATM, Councillor Magwentshu.

02:56:41Greetings to the Speaker of Council, the Honourable Nobuhle Mthembu. Greetings to the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Sello Dada Morero. Greetings to the Whip of Council,

02:57:02isiZuluuNkosi ephayo, uZungu, Manzini, inyama kayishi.

02:57:11Greetings to all the Chairpersons of Section 79 committees. Greetings to all the MMCs. Greetings to all fellow councillors.

02:57:27isiXhosaNdithi molweni nonke.

02:57:31Speaker, ATM supports the sourcing of loan by the city. The city's primary objective is to deliver services to the residents of Johannesburg. For these services to be sustainably delivered, the city requires money. Therefore borrowing becomes inevitable. Speaker, we should also note that this loan is part of the funding model that was approved by this council,

02:58:06which will allow the city to ensure that it carries on with the developmental programs that it seeks to achieve. Yes, Speaker, in the eyes of the public, a loan might be a sign of desperation and definitely not a desired way of how the city should run its affairs. It is true, Speaker, that the city should always have sufficient funds in its purse all the time.

02:58:40However, Speaker, like any other business that is serious about development, at times it would go to banks to borrow money, the intention being to develop its business. The same applies here with the city. Speaker, as we embark on the loan path, let us also set in motion a fact-finding mission

02:59:11as to how we can ensure that we generate more revenue. We also need to check the programs that we are running as a city to say, are these programs what we need to do? Maybe, Speaker, as a city, we need to come to a point where we would say, let's halt the capital projects and focus on repairs and maintenance.

02:59:42Even if you do that for one financial year.

02:59:4730 seconds remaining.

02:59:52With that said, Speaker, I want to say the ATM supports this much-needed loan. I thank you. Peace in our land.

03:00:00in our lifetime.

03:00:03Thank you, Councillor Magwentshu. ANC, Councillor Radebe.

03:00:11Uh, Councillor Modupi will take it.

03:00:13It's Councillor?

03:00:14Modupi.

03:00:15Modupi. Okay.

Item 1 debate: ANC and MMC Finance support

03:00:17Councillor Modupi.

03:00:20Thank you very much uh Speaker. Uh in the interest of time, let me greet you, Madam Speaker, the Executive Mayor, fellow Councillors. I rise in full support of the proposed R2.5 billion loan from the African Development Bank, which forms part of our capital funding strategy for the 2024/2025 financial year.

03:00:48This loan is not an unplanned or ad hoc measure. It is fully in line with the adjusted funding plan approved by the Council in March 2025, where we collectively authorized R2.7 billion in long-term borrowing for this financial fiscal year. What we now consider is the formalization of that resolution through a strategic agreement with a reputable development finance institution.claim

03:01:21Key loan items are R2.5 billion with a 15-year term. Uh there is no grace period. And payment will be quarterly amortizing payments with the floating 3-month JIBAR plus up to 2.3% plus 0.23 margin, which is approximately 11claim

03:01:510.03 of the current effective rate. We understand the uh the loan is not secured. The loan will be used to fund high impact infrastructure projects, including water upgrades in underserved communities, road rehabilitation in regions like C and G, electrification of informal settlements, climate-resilient stormwater systems,claim

03:02:21and infrastructure to support mixed-use housing developments. Madam Speaker, this is not a cost. It is a lever for development through the multiplier effect. The This R2.5 billion could generate R5 to R8 billion in wider economic activity, boosting jobs, stimulating township economies,claim

03:02:50and accelerating service delivery. It is financially sustainable, strategically aligned and morally urgent. I therefore, Madam Speaker, urge

03:03:04SesothoRea leboha, Councillor Modupi.

03:03:17Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I want to start off by saying condolences to the African National Congress and to this entire council on the passing of Councillor Buthelezi. It is indeed sad, a sweet soul. Madam Speaker, I don't think I need to have a long list of comments, but safe to say this is not a short-term loan,

03:03:46but a 15-year loan to finance capital expenditure. The R2.5 billion is part of the city's approved capital budget. The R2.5 billion is part of the city's council-approved budget, and I think many of the councillors said that we came twice, and we did it. The pricing of the loan is attractive of 230 basis points above JIBAR, uh uh equating of 9.85%.

03:04:15The debt ceiling of of of loans is 45%. We are well under that. We are 35% per the NT guidelines. Uh taking this loan will increase uh debt uh to revenue to only 35% living, which is well below the ceiling. We came to council twice, and we are just here. Thank you, PA, of reminding

03:04:41services with the moneys that we have, and to prioritize service delivery and not to politicize. ATM, thank you so much, together with COPE and all the other political parties that shows intention to uh support these um this budget. Um the loan, I thank you, Madam Speaker, and I ask the South this house that we uh adopt the loan. Thank you.

Item 1 vote and DA dissent

03:05:17Yeah, she has flu. Thank you, MMC Arnolds. Um Councillor MMC Mgcina, is MMC Loyiso okay? I asked even during the break. She's fine. Okay. All right, councillors, the recommendations are on pages 1.5 to 1.6. Is the item agreed to?

03:05:45Agreed, Speaker.

03:05:53Okay, we are going to divide the house. And we'll start with everyone who supports the item. Please raise your hand.

03:06:28We stand with Iran.

03:07:14isiZuluUbeyangitshela ukuthi uyabona isagila.

03:07:45Councillors, you can lower your hands. All those against this motion, please raise your hands.

03:09:36Councillors, you can lower your hands. All the councillors who are abstaining from the voting process, please raise your hands.

03:09:52Let's give uh legal 2 minutes to consolidate the results.

03:11:13Zero. And then the noes?

03:11:16Okay. Councillors, the results are as follows. All those who abstained is zero. The noes, 98. The yeses, 137. The item passes.

03:11:42Uh councillors, we are proceeding with the second item.

03:11:48Sorry, Councillor Niemand, we didn't see your hand there.

03:11:51Speaker, just in terms of rule 94, you can just record the DA's opposition and dissent to this item. Thank you.

03:11:59Your dissent is noted.

03:12:03Uh councillors, item two is the acting arrangements for senior managers.

03:12:08Sorry, Secretary to Council. Sorry, colleagues, I don't see your hands. Councillor Raphadu.

Point on late recording of dissent; referral to Rules Committee

03:12:13Madam Speaker, there seems to be a a tendency and a wrong norm. And I think, Madam Speaker, through your discretion, we need to refer this type of um issues to to the rules committee. Because you can't get into the ring, after you lose, then you say, "No, I'm not." No, no, no. So please, can you refer it to the rules committee so that we deal with this thing decisively? Because it's starting a wrong trend,

03:12:41and it's uncalled for. And I'm raising this not for the first or the third time, Madam Speaker. People should, in, please, before we start, before we start, we should ask for dissenters, before we start, so that we know people are not going to vote, not after the fact. Because now it's tending to be a morning-after pill now. Sorry for that.

03:13:10Councillor Raphadu, you're raising your point, but I got lost at the end. I don't know how we got there, but,

03:13:16Withdraw. I withdraw. I withdraw.

03:13:18Yeah, yo. Eish, tough.

03:13:26Chair of Chair and the Chairperson of Rules, I'm sure you heard that also. It can be discussed in the committee. Secretary to Council.

Item 2 debate: ActionSA on acting arrangements

03:13:41Uh sorry, councillors, on item two, we are on acting arrangements for senior managers.

03:13:50The first speaker is from ActionSA, Councillor Ntombela.

03:14:04Honorable Speaker, Executive Mayor, members of the of the Mayoral Committee, fellow councillors, the Fabulous 44, and most importantly, the residents of the City of Johannesburg, good afternoon. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on item two, the extension of the acting arrangement for senior managers' position.

03:14:35Just a couple of weeks ago, we received a report seeking our approval and outlining the acting arrangement for the senior manager positions in the city. Once again, we are here today to approve a similar concerning and the same senior managerial positions. Madam Speaker, ActionSA supports the item regarding the finalization of recruitment process.

03:15:04We hope that all acting mentioned in item 2.3 will be completed by August 2025. However, there are concerns. Madam Speaker, the acting arrangements in the city are a concerning issue. Giving number of times we have approved these positions, the City of Johannesburg currently has several

03:15:34key positions filled by the acting appointments. Meanwhile, the ongoing recruitment process has just been updated to "in progress" with no uh precise details on such progress. How much longer will the recruitment process for the senior managers' um position take? Have the interviews and selection process been completed for these key senior managerial positions?

03:16:06As ActionSA, we are concerned that the Acting City Manager position faces many significant limitations that hinder effective governance and service delivery, which are on hold as a result. The limitation stems from the temporary nature of their appointments and the legal frameworks governs in this role.

03:16:36To conclude, while Acting City Managers play a key the efficiency, stability, and good governance of a municipality. Therefore, we recommend that the recruitment process for these positions be completed by the end of September 2025 to ensure that effective governance and service delivery are addressed on time in the city, that the City Manager will be able to perform

03:17:08their duties in to full capacity of key performance. These extensions should be the last ones approved, with the recruitment process finalized by the end of September 2025. Madam Speaker, let us truly break this trend of extending contracts for key senior manager positions without proper explanation and avoid unnecessarily costing the city's finances.

03:17:41The Joburg deserves the best. Thank you.

03:17:50isiZuluSiyabonga, Councillor Ntombela.

03:17:54Councillor Raphadu and Councillor Niemand, I've been advised that that item you just raised, Councillor, to the Rules Committee, and it will be discussed tomorrow in the committee. We'll move over to DA, Councillor Foley.

Item 2 debate: DA rejects the report

03:18:16Councillor Ntombela, please switch off your mic.

03:18:22Madam Speaker, members of council, the residents of Johannesburg, all protocol observed, good day to you all. I, Councillor David Foley, rise on item two, acting arrangements for senior managers, again. Thank you for the opportunity to address a matter that has been has growing significance within the current administration, the continued reliance on acting appointments and the burden placed on individuals who are expected to perform two senior roles simultaneously.

03:18:51We understand that acting positions may sometimes be a necessary short-term measure. However, when these interim arrangements become prolonged or routine, they create systematic challenges that impact not only the individuals involved, but the effectiveness of our governance and the service delivery as a whole. Let me begin with the impact on the employee. When a staff member is tasked with leading in two distinct capacities, often without necessary resources, authority, or support, they are placed under extraordinary pressure.

03:19:21This can result in burnout, poor mental health, and diminished productivity. The quality of decision-making suffers, and their ability to lead their teams with clarity and consistency is compromised. What was once a dedicated and high-performing employee now becomes overwhelmed, demoralized, and in time, disengaged. Moreover, expecting individuals to carry this dual load without additional support or recognition can feel punitive. It sends a message, intentional or not, that dedication is met with an increased workload, not growth or reward.claim

03:19:48Now let's consider the impact on the employee, as in the City of Joburg. Firstly, there is a cost to continuity. When leadership roles remain vacant or occupied in an acting capacity for too long, it creates uncertainty. Teams lose focus, strategic direction is blurred, and operational efficiency declines. Projects stall, accountability diminishes, service delivery, the very reason we exist, is delayed or diluted.claim

03:20:19Secondly, there is a risk to reputation and morale. A culture that tolerates or normalizes acting roles sends a message of instability, both internally to our staff and externally to our stakeholders. It also undermines the principles of fair recruitment, equal opportunity, and organizational development. Thirdly, and most critically, it affects the citizens we serve. When positions are not permanently filled with qualified, accountable leaders, we compromise our capacity to deliver essential servicesclaim

03:20:49efficiently and with the urgency our communities deserve. Madam Speaker, I urge the administration to prioritize the filling of all critical vacancies with speed and integrity. Let us empower an administration with the leadership it requires, leaders who are committed, focused, and properly appointed to drive service delivery forward. It's not just about policy compliance or HR protocols. It's about people, performance, and progress. A well-resourced and well-led institution is one is able to serve its community and with dignity and excellence.claim

03:21:19Let us uh briefly talk about one of your most senior managers, Helen Botes. A quick review on information available shows the following. One, active criminal case, culpable homicide complaints. On the 6th of May 2025, the DA opened a culpable homicide docket arguing that the JPC's failure to secure and maintain the Usindiso building contributed to 2023 blaze that killed 76 people. Ms. Botes was CEO at the time.claim

03:21:47Possible indictment could leave the city with an executive who is simultaneously defending a serious criminal prosecution. Number two, Special Investigating Unit findings of financial misconduct. The SIU's proclamation R23 of 2020 links Ms. Botes to R18.3 million in unauthorized, irregular, and wasteful expenditure at the JPC. The DA laid fresh criminal charges on the 30th of April 2025 to force action on the SIU report.

03:22:15Rehiring her exposes the city to further audit disclaimers and potential National Treasury intervention. Number three, irregular COVID fogging contracts, R470 million. Media reviews, I'm just going to skip about three of them, four of them. Bottom line assessment for the City of Joburg. Hiring or rehiring Ms. Botes into any senior City of Joburg post would likely intensify legal exposure, both criminal and civil, jeopardize audit outcomes and threaten conditional grants linked to clean governance,

03:22:45undermine public confidence at a moment when the metro is already battling multiple service delivery crises, and distract the administration as leadership time and resources are diverted to litigation and damage control. Given these unresolved investigations, governance red flags, and the scale of public opposition, most oversight bodies argue that the city should first conclude all disciplinary legal processes, conduct an open recruitment process, and prioritize candidates with demonstrably clean records and turnaround expertise before considering Ms. Botes for further employment.

03:23:18The report that states the request to the MEC of COGTA for concurrence on a number of positions was requested to further extend acting periods for a further three months. Provide the approval letter to the Democratic Alliance for review. Um the Democratic Alliance would like an update on the position of Executive Director Human Settlements, Mr. Patrick Phophi, who was permanently appointed on the 1st of December 2024 and subsequently interdicted by the High Court, of which the case is still pending.

03:23:48The Democratic Alliance rejects this report in its totality based on a number of procedural inconsistencies, which have been clarified by a legal letter submitted this morning to the Speaker, the Mayor, and his team, and including the MMC of COGTA. Please note the dissent of the Democratic Alliance in this matter. Just a final note, one good possibility on the horizon for the 2026/2027 municipal elections is that Helen Zille will be becoming the mayor with a DA majority,

03:24:21so the City of Joburg can once again become the economic capital of South Africa and Africa under her guidance and experience as a mayor and a premier. I thank you.

03:24:34This is not the old age home.

03:24:38Botox. In Cape Town.

Item 2 debate: Freedom Front Plus rejects

03:24:42Thank you, Councillor Foley. Freedom Front Plus, Councillor Boer.

03:24:49Good afternoon, Madam Speaker, again. Um on a better note, I think I can announce that Franco de Lange will be the mayoral candidate business. And Madam Speaker, in a successful business, if a CEO or a financial manager or a financial director announces his retirement or he's going to resign, then four months or six months, even a year upfront, they appoint a new CEO or a new

03:25:18CFO, or whatever the case might be, so that this person can be worked in and can be on par on the method of working on the existing CFO or the CEO. It seems to me the city does not want to follow those routes. Um we have to run the city as a business. Unfortunately, the current GLU is not interested in running the city as a business. And the

03:25:45City Manager was removed by a court order, and six months later, we are stillclaim

03:25:53points. Um and it seems to me those acting appointments are going to carry on forever and forever and forever. We're going for the third extension on the Acting City Manager. We're going for the second extension on the COO. Um and what isclaim

03:26:13process for the City Manager already ended on the 31st of March. Nearly three months later, there is no sign orclaim

03:26:23are there candidates, what is the appointment date for the new City Manager? And as long as you can't fill the City Manager's position, we cannot advertise the COO's position. So we are running from one to the other, and it is clearly seen on ground level. Our service levels are so terrible at the moment. There is nobody that is taking responsibility. There is no um uh

03:26:50nothing that that that anyone has to has to take responsibility for the wrongdoings in this city. And it seems to me it is business as usual. We're going to see those extensions uh uh acting arrangements reports every single month. Next month, July, it is again the acting arrangement for the COO. The month thereafter, there is another one. And there is absolutely no progress of filling those positions, get competent people to take the city forward and take responsibility.

03:27:20And we, as the Freedom Front, reject this report. We cannot just rubber-stamp every time a three-month extension without any permanent positions. Thank you very much.

Item 2 debate: UDM supports

03:27:32Thank you, Councillor Boer. UDM, Councillor Zigebe.

03:27:43Speaker.

03:27:46Councillor Mhlongo.

03:27:50Uh thank you very much, Madam Speaker. On item two, I would like to donate my three minutes to Councillor Zigebe. Thank you very much.

03:27:56So you're giving him all your time?

03:27:58Yes, all my time, yes.

03:27:59Okay.

03:27:59Yes, thank you.

03:28:00Okay.

03:28:05I deserve the six minutes, Speaker.

03:28:09isiZuluAngithi last time awuvumanga ngiqede? Sebeyangidonathela manje, hhayi uyintandane.

03:28:15Um Madam Speaker, the Honorable Mayor, the executive, Chief Whip, Chair of Chairs, fellow chairpersons, and fellow councillors, guests in the gallery, I greet you. I want to ask a question, Speaker, through you, Speaker. If the DA is sending Gogo Zille, uNontsapho, here,

03:28:42isiZuluwenzeni uBelinda?

03:28:44She's always going to be a bridesmaid. Uh Speaker, I rise on behalf of the UDM and the MGP as we gather in the echo of struggle, where memory is not just a reminder, but a summons to become more than what was broken. We stand in the month of June beneath the long shadow of Youth Day, a day that reminds us not just of protest and defiance,

03:29:12but of betrayal of identity. The youth of 1976 were not only fighting against Afrikaans in class. They were fighting against the systemic erasure of their being. They were fighting to say, "I know who I am. I'm not a second-class citizen. I'm the child of Africa, and I deserve to be taught, spoken to, and governed in my own language, on my own terms,emotive

03:29:39own spirit." And yet, decades later, our youth are still at war, not always with guns and tear gas, but with a deeper, more insidious violence, the violence of displacement, being born on land that they cannot own, the violence of misrepresentation, being forced to answer to names that are not theirs, the violence of

03:30:00spiritual exile. Being taught that their ancestors were primitive, that their sacred ways are demonic, that their natural hair, their language, their very presence must be tamed, reshaped, or silenced. Madam Speaker, today's young person is not just fighting for economic justice. They're engaged in a sacred reclamation. A reclamation

03:30:25isiXhosaAh, bethunana, yintoni ngoku le nto indenza yona? Ibi ntle kaloku.

03:30:30They are saying with unshakable conviction, I am not what colonization tried to make me. I am what the soil remembers. I am the drum beat in my grandmother's stories. I am the prophecy of a people who refused to vanish. And this reclamation, African indigenous spirituality is rising. The youth are returning to their fire. They are returning to the mountains. They are dreaming in again in IsiXhosa, in Sepedi, in Tshivenda, in IsiZulu, in Tsonga, and all our 11 languages, in tongues of the gods that colonial borders tried to mute. They are not lost, they are awakening.

03:31:12isiXhosaIn the words of In the words of ikhokho imbongi negqirha uZwi lethu Radebe,

03:31:17and I quote, youth does not mean immorality. It is a power to make choices, close quote. And today the youth are choosing to remember. They are choosing to return, they are choosing themselves. Honorable Speaker, in that same spirit of choosing, of stepping with conviction into the future, we note the appreciation of the of the level of transparency in the report and commend the administration for outlining both the filled and vacant positions, as well as steps being taken to manage continuity through acting appointments while recruitment processes are underway.

03:31:51The nature of public administration is such that transitions, vacancies and even legal complexities will arise. What matters most is that there is a plan and more importantly that the plan is being executed. What we are seeing in this report is not neglect, but a system working through its constraints with active engagements with the MEC, adherence to legislative frameworks and ongoing recruitment for critical positions such as the city manager, group communications and marketing and public safety. Speaker, rather than lament the past, we must anchor our focus on the horizon.

03:32:29The current acting arrangements, while necessary and legally compliant, present us with a powerful opportunity to not to just fill vacancies, but to sow but to do so with intentionality. This is our chance to embed transformation into the heart of recruitment, build a pipeline of capable, younger and diverse professionals, and prioritize leadership stability in departments that directly impact service delivery such as human settlements, transport, and social development. We must continue supporting the processes already in motion and complement them with a strong political will, clear timelines, and an ongoing commitment to excellence.

03:33:06Honorable Speaker, we must remind ourselves acting appointments are not signs of dysfunction. They are signs of a system in transition, provided they are not allowed to become permanent placeholders. Let us remain vigilant, but optimistic. Let us strengthen oversight without stifling progress. Let us as council walk with the administration to the finish line of these appointments, because leadership certainty is service certainty. In closing, Speaker, we reaffirm that this generation of young people is not waiting for perfect conditions. They are watching to see if we are building an institution they can trust, one that leads with clarity, with courage and continuity.

03:33:46UDM supports the recommendations in this report and encourage the work already begun to be seen through with urgency. I thank you. And that,

03:33:56isiXhosamandithi nje yobe kwi-ANC on the passing of uKhansela Buthelezi. Nxeba kwethu, uThixo abe nani. Qamata wamaZulu aniphulule izinyembezi kwelo sapho. Ndibulele kwi-AIC

03:34:10for the donation of this beautiful minutes. Thank you.

Item 2 debate: EFF notes the report and demands faster recruitment

03:34:16Thank you, Councillor Zigebe. EFF Councillor Nhlapo.

03:34:31Sorry. Greetings to the Speaker, the EFF caucus leader, the EFF chief whip, and all councillors in the house. We are in support of Palestine. Iran have a right to defend itself. I rise on I rise on behalf of the Economic Freedom Fighters to speak on item two

03:35:00concerning the persistent issue of acting arrangements for senior management in the City of Johannesburg. Speaker, the EFF remains deeply concerned by the city's continued reliance on extended acting appointments for senior management roles. While we acknowledge that the 17 of the 22 senior management posts in core departments are filled, the five vacant positions, and more importantly, the length of time they remain vacant, are unacceptable. This pattern undermines stability, continuity, and accountability in the administration of this municipality. We note that the report that positions such as the head of public safety, executive director for human settlements, and the executive head of the office of the city manager have been filled in an acting capacity for several months,claim

03:35:48with some stretching beyond six months. Despite the Municipal Systems Act number 32 of 2000 as amended by the Act number three of 2022, which permits the acting appointments only to up to three months, extendable by further three months with the MEC concurrence, the city continues to operate as if this is normal. Why does the city wait until acting periods have expired or are close to expiring before initiating extensions or secondment? Why are recruitment processes taking so long to conclude? Same applications closed three or more months ago, yet appointments have not been finalized.

03:36:28In this case, a poor planning, administrative incompetence, or worse, deliberate stalling to secure positions for preferred candidates? The people of Johannesburg deserve to know. The EFF has consistently warned against this culture of acting, of acting appointments. It compromises the delivery of services and creates uncertainty within the departments. If an individual is competent enough to act in a role, surely that competency must count in favor of a permanent appointment process, subject to due diligence and fairness.

03:37:07We also question whether the city is deliberately circumventing fair recruitment by using acting appointments as placeholders until politically convenient decisions can be made. The delays suggest either inefficiency or manipulation, both of which are unacceptable. The report also shows that MEC concurrence has been requested for further extensions in multiple positions, as required by the law. But the question remains, why are we in a position where acting arrangements need to be renewed over and over again? Municipal Systems Act is clear, section 56(1)(c) provides that a person may not act in a senior management for more than six months within MEC concurrence,

03:37:50and even then, the total period cannot exceed that unless a secondment is approved. The COGTA circular number 24 of 2022 also emphasizes that acting appointments should be limited, time-bound, and not used to bypass transparent recruitment processes. The EFF notes the recommendation in the report, but let us be clear. The reliance on prolonged acting appointments is symptomatic of a deeper governance crisis. The city must respect legislative frameworks, build internal capacity, and stop normalizing leadership instability. Given the concerns outlined above, we demand, one, that the city expedites the finalization of recruitment processes for all senior management positions, especially those that closed months ago.

03:38:34That council receives monthly progress updates on recruitment to ensure transparency and accountability. That acting appointments are used only in exceptional cases, not as a default leadership model. The EFF notes the report and its recommendation, but we urge the council to treat the matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. Johannesburg deserves leadership that is permanent, accountable, and competent, not indefinite placeholders. I thank you.

03:39:03isiZuluSiyabonga, Khansela Nhlapo.

Item 2 debate: ANC and MMC respond; vote

03:39:05ANC, on my updated list, oh, he's walking in. I have Councillor Raphadu.

03:39:20Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the opportunity to represent the ANC in this item. Madam Speaker, your opponents or your enemies will never see good in whatever that you do. For a fact, Madam Speaker, quarter by quarter, acting arrangements are on the decline. This shows that this city is indeed moving in the right direction. It's declining because there's solid leadership in terms of our MMC.claim

03:39:54It's declining because there's solid leadership in our mayor. And it's declining because there's solid leadership in our MMCs and the mayoral committee that we have in making sure that we foster a culture and an environment where there is stability in the City of Johannesburg, and we note that many of the challenges that we are facing currently need solid leadership that will take us forward. And I can tell you for a fact again, Madam Speaker, that in the second quarter report, there's a 4% decline. So if all of us can go back and remember, we started from a 30% basis point and we're moving even lower.claim

03:40:35So it shows that we are indeed focusing on this thing of making sure that the people that are steering this ship in the right direction are in a permanent position. Remember that when you are acting, you are always uncertain of the environment that might change. You are even scared to take decisions that might impact even our residents for the better. So it is good that we are bringing a report here, and I'm glad one councillor said there is a plan to take this city forward. So this is an affirmation of our commitment as this Government of Local Unity in making sure that the City of Johannesburg does get to a point where everybody is safe in their position and they can dispense and dispatch their energies, their time

03:41:20in making sure that indeed we really serve the residents of the City of Johannesburg. Madam Speaker, for me, it is just to be happy as the chairperson of the section 79 that we are heading in the right direction. It is to implore other councillors that we should look for the good and not only pinpoint and airbrush the rest that is happening. So for us as the ANC, we move to note the report and we're saying those who are in charge,

03:41:51isiZulusiyaqhuba, siyaphambili, and siyayidumisa i-ANC. Amandla!

03:41:59Thank you, Councillor Raphadu. MMC Masuku.

03:42:08Afternoon, Speaker. The concerns are noted from the councillors on the issues of urgency, and thank you councillors for supporting the report. We ask council to note the report. Thanks.

03:42:22Siyabonga, MMC. Councillors, the recommendations are on pages 2.12 to 2.13. Is the item agreed to?

03:42:33No!

03:42:46Councillors, is the item agreed to? Councillors, the yeses have it. Councillor Niemand.

03:43:01Thank you, Chair. In accordance with rule 84, we'd like you to record our opposition to the item. Thank you very much.

MMC Kunene remark on DA mayoral candidate

03:43:13MMC Kunene.

03:43:19Madam Speaker, Councillor Raphadu spoke. However, Madam Speaker, I now realize why Helen Zille wants to come and stand as mayor here. It is a vote of no confidence on every councillor of the DA. Helen Zille is saying they are not worthy of being the candidate for mayor. Thank you.emotive

03:43:45Please sit down, MMC. Siyabonga, MMC. Let's move forward. Please, let's not provoke each other.

Announcements and closure

03:43:59Uh councillors, we are now on announcements.

03:44:04Da Rocha, ne? Councillor Da Rocha, if I'm not mistaken. Okay. You can come in, it's fine.

03:44:14Thank you, Madam Speaker. To me it sounds like the opposition is getting very worried.

03:44:21Councillor Da Rocha! No, man. Councillors, please be reminded that the ordinary council meeting scheduled is for the 25th and the 26th of June 2025. The related documents will be distributed in due course. And please be reminded that there is councillor safety briefing that shall be taking place just after this council meeting here in the council chambers. Please, all councillors are urged to attend this very important briefing. We met with JMPD. There's some things they want to share with all the councillors represented in council.

03:45:01Closure? Oh. Immediately after when I adjourn, you can sit, then they'll come in. It's going to be a brief, councillors, please. I know a lot of you don't come to us, ne, and report. We want to help you. So please remain

03:45:25adjourned yet, MMC Kunene and other councillors.

03:45:31Speaker, it was just officially raised um with you, your office. I know um our chairperson raised it.

03:45:41an hour and a half with caucus breaks and the likes of. There was a um Our councillors need to go and attend to some other business, so we are not making it mandatory for the DA caucus to attend. Those that can

03:45:54Thank you.

03:45:56Okay. Uh councillors, we are now on closure.

03:46:03attending this meeting. The meeting is officially adjourned. Please stay behind