Latest news with #JohannesburgCityCouncil
The Citizen
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Joburg budget hanging by a thread: ANC fights to get their way as partners gun for them
All eyes will be on Thursday's budget debate and vote Johannesburg City Council meeting at the Connie Bapela House in Braamfontein. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen Coalition partners in the City of Johannesburg have expressed outrage at the latest budget, putting it at risk of not being passed in council. Finance MMC Margaret Arnolds on Wednesday presented the City's R89 billion plan to boost service delivery and increase revenue collection. The presentation contained proposals for increase in tariffs for water and wastewater, electricity, and property rates, among other charges. The City also maintained a R200 surcharge that remains a thorny issue among coalition partners. ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said one of the reasons his party supported mayor Dada Morero was that the ANC had agreed to scrap the burdensome surcharge. He claimed he was told it would not be in the latest budget, only to be surprised by its inclusion this week. 'This charge punishes low-income residents who rely on prepaid meters to avoid debt, with no published cost-of-supply to justify it. While the proposed increase to R270 was dropped, the core injustice persists,' he said. Will ActionSA block the budget? He claimed not to have been consulted on the budget and would make his feelings known when council votes on passing the fiscal framework on Thursday. 'We will never vote in favour of a budget that sustains unjust charges on the poor, enables financial mismanagement, or ignores basic service delivery failures. 'We stand with the people of Johannesburg, and we vote accordingly,' he said. How many votes does the ANC need to pass budget? There are 270 seats in council. The ANC would need 136 votes to pass the budget. Below is the breakdown of seats by party in the City. African National Congress (ANC): 91 seats 91 seats Democratic Alliance (DA): 71 seats 71 seats ActionSA: 44 seats 44 seats Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF): 29 seats 29 seats Patriotic Alliance (PA): 8 seats 8 seats Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP): 7 seats 7 seats Freedom Front Plus (VF PLUS): 4 seats 4 seats African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP): 3 seats 3 seats Al Jama-ah (ALJAMA): 3 seats 3 seats African Independent Congress (AIC): 2 seats 2 seats African Heart Congress (AHC): 1 seat 1 seat African People's Convention (APC): 1 seat 1 seat African Transformation Movement (ATM): 1 seat 1 seat Congress of the People (COPE): 1 seat 1 seat GOOD: 1 seat 1 seat Pan Africanist Congress (PAC): 1 seat 1 seat United Democratic Movement (UDM): 1 seat 1 seat United Independent Movement (UIM): 1 seat While ActionSA voted with the government of local unity (GLU) coalition to bring Morero to power, Mashaba said the party only votes with the ANC on an issue-by-issue basis. There were talks that one day ActionSA would be included in the governance structures of the city, but for now, they only occupy positions in the legislature. Morero running a puppet council? Mashaba said he had lost faith in Morero's leadership, and claimed he was running a puppet council. He claimed to have reported the mayor to the ANC's mother body for allegedly saying that he had appointed Arnolds to control her. 'I know Margaret, you could see she did not understand what she was reading. Dada told me he had appointed her because he could control her,' he said. The Citizen has reached out to Morero's office, the ANC in Johannesburg, and the City of Johannesburg for comment on this claim. Any update will be included once received. GLU partner slams budget The African People's Convention (APC) also disapproves of the budget. 'Only a mere R3 billion is allocated to the poor communities. This budget does not speak to the needs and expectations of the previously disadvantaged communities who continue to live in squalor conditions whilst the city prioritizes the affluent areas of the metropole. 'It does not effectively address the common crime in the CBD, nor does it address the continued shortage of water supply in Joburg,' said the party in a statement. It said it would adopt the budget with reservations and raise the issues it has within the council. Parties outside of GLU won't vote for budget either The second biggest party in the council, after the ANC, the DA was also expected to vote against the budget. They will be joined by African Democratic Christian Party (ACPD). ACDP councillor Norman Mkhonza told The Citizen the allocations in the budget were 'all over the place'. He also questioned the City's ambitions to put sewage pipes and electricity in informal settlements. 'So, are they saying is they are promoting illegality. Do they know who stays in these informal settlements and if those people are even legal in the country,' he said. ALSO READ: DA tables motion of no confidence in Johannesburg mayor and speaker No budget could spell disaster for the City Political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast told The Citizen that in a coalition all members should be consulted on matters. 'When there is power sharing, it means that there is no political party that has won elections. Therefore, there must be a consensus across the spectrum. 'If this does not happen, it means it is a serious omission that might cause a serious threat to the stability of the municipality,' he said. Breakfast warned that if the municipality takes time to adopt the budget, it could affect service delivery in the City. NOW READ: How Joburg plans to spend R89 billion
Daily Maverick
19-05-2025
- Daily Maverick
‘We warned you' — Joburg ignored years of alerts before four Mayfair toddlers died in fire
Four toddlers were burnt beyond recognition in a blaze at an overcrowded Mayfair house — one of 50 flagged slum properties ignored by Johannesburg officials for years. A ward committee member repeatedly warned the city, even submitting another dossier after the deadly Usindiso fire in 2023. No action was taken, and now a community mourns an avoidable loss. Nadia, Rehana, Patience and Precious — all aged between two and four — died in a fire at a Johannesburg slum property where at least 32 people lived in a space built for six. The city was warned. A contravention notice was issued in 2022. But enforcement never came. The Johannesburg City Council was repeatedly warned about unsafe living conditions at the Mayfair house in Ward 58, in which the four children died after being burnt beyond recognition on Monday, 19 May. Daily Maverick has documents that show how a Mayfair ward committee member, Azil Ally, sent a list of at least 50 slumlord problem properties, that included notice of unsafe electrical connections, to numerous officials and political leaders from 2021. The city issued a contravention notice to the owner of the house in 2022, but there was no follow-up, said Ally, who provided Daily Maverick with proof of the contravention notice issued by the city's inspectorate. City of Johannesburg spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane did not immediately respond to Daily Maverick's request for comment. It will be added once received. The city's Emergency Services spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi, said the bodies of the four little girls who died in the fire were still being identified by Monday afternoon. A community member identified them only as 'Nadia', 'Rehana', 'Patience' and 'Precious' and said they were Malawian (likely to have been born to Malawian families in South Africa). She did not know their surnames, but she lived in the house where a yet unnamed woman ran a day-care centre in her room. Four toddlers found dead on bed The children were found dead on the bed after being trapped in flames from a fire that began when a stove exploded due to what was thought to be a faulty plug connection, said Mulaudzi. The woman who ran the day-care centre, who had twins of her own, who were safe, had been taken to the Brixton Police Station for questioning, he said. House occupants said 20 people had been living in the house and there were six back rooms, with two people living in each. They rented for between R1,400 to R1,700 a space, said a woman, who wanted to be called only 'Angie'. She said the occupants were from Malawi and Zimbabwe and rented from an Ethiopian owner. 'They are being exploited. In a house built for four or six [people, you have 50 to 100 staying inside,' said Ally, describing some of the properties in the area. 'It's a disaster waiting to happen. Every second or third house is being turned into [an] overcrowded, bad building. The officials have failed and only react when four toddlers lost their lives. 'Even city properties [belonging to the Johannesburg Property Company] are hijacked in this ward. The city lets its own properties become slums,' said Ally, who has regularly sent Daily Maverick evidence of his efforts to have bylaws enforced and dangerous conditions investigated. Lawrence Moyo was called from work and rushed home. His children, one and three years old, got out safely. He and others clambered on to the roof and hammered at a wall to get inside to try to douse the flames. He used a scarf, but still suffered from smoke inhalation. Simose Nkosi, who also lived in the house, said she was sitting outside in the sun, where it was warmer, and was the first to hear the children screaming as the fire quickly spread. 'I'm shocked,' she said, still sitting on the pavement outside as the police wanted the house cleared. 'Illegal electricity connections' Resident Abdul Ntshangase said, 'The councillor only comes when there's a situation. The owners [of the house] don't even live here [another neighbour said he had moved abroad]. There are no inspectors, the infrastructure has collapsed,' he said, showing Daily Maverick how cabling revealed illegal electricity connections. 'This is a wake-up call.' Residents of the house and neighbours said they had been complaining about a faulty borehole connection and that the fire started at the distribution board. 'We are sitting on a time bomb,' said Ally, who warned after the August 2023 fire at the Usindiso shelter in Johannesburg in which 73 people died, that the problem was city-wide. He sent the Ward 58 dossier to a series of members of the mayoral committee for planning, who have regularly changed roles because of city coalition politics. 'I've sent it to the general email and to building inspectors.' 'Failed service delivery' Ally said it was hazardous to blow the whistle in Ward 58 as his home had been broken into and only his laptop, on which he documents the slumlords in the area, was stolen. On a blitz of problem properties with a previous councillor, he was openly threatened. 'What happened is really sad and all due to failed service delivery. As far back as 10 years ago, we sent up the Greater Mayfair Civic Association. Since then, we have reported slum-lording and overcrowding in our ward. I push for bylaw enforcement and for the Development Planning department to give some service to Ward 58 – which I call the lost ward in my address to council,' said Councillor Ricky Nair. 'There is no will to serve and contribute to the uplifting of our city by most employees. To turn it around, there has to be a complete mindset change in employees [public servants].' Further reading Daily Maverick has focused on Ward 58 for six years as a microcosm of the collapse of the Johannesburg inner city through official neglect and micro-state failure. The writer's family home is in Ward 58.
IOL News
07-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
'Drastic times call for drastic measures': Johannesburg Mayor unveils turnaround plan
City of Joburg Mayor Dade Morero has promised, during his state of the city address, to revamp the city after President Cyril Ramaphosa voiced disappointment over its state. Image: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has unveiled a turnaround plan aimed at revitalising the city's economy, improving service delivery, and ensuring financial sustainability. The plan, which was presented during the State of the City Address (Soca) on Wednesday, seeks to address the city's challenges through a series of drastic measures. Morero has been under fire in recent months after opposition parties demanded answers for the state of the Johannesburg city center, that has become a shadow of itself with high crime and a state of decay. It has been nearly two years since a gas explosion tore down Bree Street, now known as Lilian Ngoyi Street, in central Johannesburg but it has yet to be fixed, prompting opposition parties to demand answers as to why the street's rehabilitation has stalled. The city closed the street after the blast forced some businesses to shut down when the road caved in leaving a series of ditches. Morero delivered his addressed under a cloud after the DA in Johannesburg, merely hours before the Soca, tabled a motion of no confidence against Morero, and the Speaker of the Johannesburg City Council, Nobuhle Mthembu, asking them to resign after failing the residents of the metro. However during his Soca, Morero emphasised the need for extreme actions to resolve the city's challenges, saying "drastic times call for drastic measures". "We must behave in an unusual manner so that we can see and yield different results," he said. His plan includes several key components, such as economic growth where he aims to achieve an average GDP growth rate of 3% over the next five years through the addition of an economic workstream within the Presidential Support Package. Morero emphasised the importance of efficient service delivery, citing progress made by the Service Delivery War Room established in March 2025. He said the war room had led to a decline in service delivery protests and improved collaboration between government departments and state-owned entities. Morero also said for financial sustainability, the city plans to overhaul its revenue collection approach to improve liquidity. This includes robust revenue collection from large consumers of electricity and water and daily monitoring of cash flow by senior managers, with a target of collecting at least R200 million daily. Lilian Ngoyi in Johannesburg (formerly Bree Street) was hit by a gas explosion two years ago. Jo'burg mayor Dada Morero, during his state of the city address promised to revamp the street. Image: File / Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers He also vowed to zoom in on infrastructure development where the metro would invest in infrastructure projects, such as the Northern-Farms Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is expected to generate economic benefits, create jobs and stimulate local businesses. To ensure the successful implementation of the turnaround plan, Morero announced the establishment of a high-power implementation impact team known as the "Bomb Squad". This team, led by ANC stalwart Dr Snuki Zikalala, will be responsible for removing constraints that impact the city's ability to create a better Johannesburg. Morero urged residents to play their part in making Johannesburg a functional, vibrant, livable, and resilient city. He emphasised the importance of working together to ensure that no one is left behind and encouraged residents to support revenue collection initiatives and comply with city by-laws. During the presentation of his plan, Morero sent an email to President Ramaphosa that contained his full turnaround plan with loud cheers from the councillors attending the Soca. Ramaphosa had been critical of the state Johannesburg during his visit earlier this year, saying that it was in a bad state and needed to be prioritised. This prompted Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and Morero to apologise to the president. [email protected]
IOL News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Amid Tensions with South Africa, I See Opportunities
Armstrong Williams reflects on his return to Cape Town after 35 years, exploring the evolving landscape of South Africa's diplomatic relations with the United States amidst rising tensions and opportunities for constructive engagement. Image: IOL By Armstrong Williams I am in Cape Town for the first time since 1990. On my earlier trip, I had the honour of meeting Nelson and Winnie Mandela soon after his release from Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town. Our encounter was characterised by the fervent but solemn optimism of the time – a sense of boundless opportunity tempered by the knowledge that South Africa had some hard work ahead. Though Mandela was free, it would take years of negotiations and civil unrest before the country held its first free and fair democratic elections in 1994. Today, South Africa is again facing serious domestic and diplomatic challenges, especially regarding its relationship with the United States, but I remain optimistic that the relationship can be repaired to mutual benefit. Tensions are high. Less than a month ago, the Johannesburg City Council voted to allow the renaming of Sandton Drive, a major thoroughfare on which the United States consulate sits, after convicted terrorist Leila Khaled. In the same meeting, a Jewish city council member was met with chants of 'We want Hitler' and 'from the river to the sea' for displaying symbols of South African friendship with Israel. As a member of the Marxist terrorist group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Khaled participated in two violent airplane hijackings in 1969 and 1970. During one, she attempted to detonate hand grenades on a flight full of civilians; thankfully for the passengers, the explosives failed to detonate. Khaled continues to defend her actions, saying in a 2014 interview that 'I am ok with using all means of resistance… We are facing an apartheid State, Zionism as a movement, the Americans, and in general, the West.' She characterised the hijackings as 'my contribution to my people, to the struggle.' South Africa's Patriotic Alliance party, which opposes the ruling coalition led by the African National Congress (ANC) party, characterised the impending renaming as 'profoundly insulting' to the United States and 'contrary to South Africa's diplomatic relations' with America, South Africa's second-largest trading partner. A day after the Johannesburg meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expelled South Africa's ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, and declared him persona non grata. Secretary Rubio further characterised Rasool as 'a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates [President Trump].' South Africa's Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country. Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS. We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON — Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 14, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The former ambassador has thoroughly earned that label. He's described Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin as 'one of the greatest inspirations,' and held prayers in his Cape Town mosque after the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyyeh, publicly praying for the liberation of 'Palestine in its entirety from the filth of the Jews.' At a foreign policy seminar, he accused President Trump of leading a global white supremacist movement. Not all South African politicians share Rasool's antipathy towards America and our ally Israel. Last week, 15 members of parliament, including members of the ANC-led national unity government, visited Israel, meeting with Israeli lawmakers and touring communities that were devastated during the 10/7 massacres. The ANC has vocally opposed Israel, accusing it of perpetrating genocide before the International Court of Justice, which has preliminarily affirmed the accusation in an outrageous decision. In last May's election, however, it lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since South Africa's first free elections in 1994, garnering just 40% of the vote. Ashley Sauls, a member of parliament for the Patriotic Alliance, said 'The ANC does not speak for everyone…Israel is not an apartheid state, and there is no genocide going on in Gaza.'
