Joburg metro may be South Africa’s largest economic hub, but the city is falling apart due to failing service delivery, crumbling infrastructure and mismanagement by the council.
Unplanned power and water cuts, tariff hikes pushing up the cost of living and damaged infrastructure that goes unrepaired. These are just some of the reasons civil society organisations and frustrated citizens are saying enough is enough.
The Johannesburg Crisis Alliance (JCA) says it will take to the streets on Saturday 27 July to demand that Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and his team step down.
The Johannesburg Crisis Committee (JCA) on Thursday called for Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and his mayoral committee to step down as the metro crumbles under mismanagement. Left to right: Ishmael Makhabela, Tessa Dooms, Wayne Duvenage, Neeshan Balton, Moss Ntlha. (Photo: Lerato Mutsila)
Ahead of the protest, the JCA’s member organisations – the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), Action for Accountability, Defend Our Democracy and the Johannesburg Inner-City Partnership – held a media briefing at Constitution Hill on Thursday.
The group said Johannesburg is facing a leadership crisis at the hands of Gwamanda and his mayoral committee, resulting in a regression in quality services to the detriment of the city’s residents.
The JCA said the crisis is reflected in how the city handles the electricity surcharge issue and tariff increase, by labelling dissenting voices as ‘stooges’. There are still prolonged water cuts despite assurances by Joburg Water that the supply is being managed adequately.
Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda with his MMCs during an oversight visit to Lilian Ngoyi Street on 24 July 2023. (Photo: Gallo Images / Luba Lesolle)
Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda visited a destroyed section of Bree Street on 24 July 2023. The visit came after a technical report by the City on the gas explosion that caused the damage. Repairs have not yet been completed. (Photo: Gallo Images / Luba Lesolle)
Other issues include:
- An admission by the Finance MMC that the city needs to borrow R2.5-billion from Agence Française de Développement to cover budget shortfalls.
- The virtual collapse of services in terms of road maintenance, cleanliness and the provision of affordable housing.
- The assassination of a lead investigator into corruption in the city.
“The JCA believes that the executive mayor and his mayoral committee must be held accountable for these and other critical lapses in service delivery to the public. We do not believe that Councillor Gwamanda and his team have the requisite skills and capability to resolve the deepening governance crisis in Johannesburg,” the JCA’s statement read.
“Hence, our call that Mayor Gwamanda must resign and that a new leadership must be installed in the city.”
Call for political consequences
Rivonia Circle CEO Tessa Dooms said the call for Gwamanda and his mayoral committee to step down is centred on the historic failure of leadership that has impacted Joburg’s vulnerable citizens most of all.
“The call we are making is about political consequences. If we find ourselves in a situation where politicians who are meant to be the advocates of the residents of this city are not able to whip themselves, their council or their management into shape, it is up to us – as the residents of the city – not to wait for another election before acting.
“If we do not have political consequences, then we will never see change in our city,” Dooms said, adding that the only language politicians understood was that of political consequences.
When asked if the JCA had anyone in mind to take Gwamanda’s position, Dooms said it is not the job of civil society to pick the most suitable candidate for the post of mayor.
“The council has the power to choose the best among them to lead… they can make rational decisions based on competence and then make the case to us, as the residents, that these are the best people for the job. If they can’t do that, our job is to mete out consequences.”
Responsive leadership
“This is not just a one-day campaign. It’s starting on Saturday, but we are going to continue to put our feet on their necks until we have a responsive leadership,” Dooms said.
Agreeing with Dooms, Outa’s Wayne Duvenage said that protest action was just the first step to get Gwamanda and his team to step down. He said they would also consider writing to President Cyril Ramaphosa, adding that the pressure would be ramped up if the JCA’s demands were ignored.
“If the president isn’t going to answer our questions, then we have to look at how we bring legal action as citizens to have the council dissolved. So there are legal avenues, protest action and pressure on all levels of oversight – we need to exercise those right up to Parliament,” Duvenhage said.
The JCA’s list of demands include:
- The resignation of the executive mayor and the mayoral committee.
- A review of the recent pre-paid electricity tariffs.
- An end to unplanned water cuts and emergency water provision to under-serviced communities.
- An end to unplanned electricity load reduction.
- Decisive and consistent measures in fighting corruption and protecting whistle-blowers and investigators.
- Open, transparent and proper consultation with civil society, business and labour in the city’s governance.
Dooms said the JCA will ensure that each of its demands has a deadline, and if they are not met, more action will be taken. DM
Daily Maverick
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