The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg rejects with absolute contempt the Executive Mayor’s latest attempt to mislead residents about the City’s finances.
These are the facts:
The R23 billion in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure (UIFW) is an accumulated total since 2010, driven almost entirely by successive ANC governments that failed to act against their own cadres.
In just one year under the ANC-led coalition — after the DA Mayor was removed on 30 January 2023 — the City racked up R12.7 billion in UIFW. That’s nearly as much as the previous 13 years combined. The proof is laid bare in the city audited annual financial statements and the reports at the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC).
The Mayor’s “new” plan for a disciplinary board is nothing but political theatre. Had he spoken to his Former MMC OF Group Corporate and Shared Services (GCSS) he would have known that Council already approved it in 2023. The mayor and his ANC-led coalition simply refuses to implement accountability measures to hold senior officials accountable.
Instead he is defending unlawful decisions in court which adds more possible unauthorised and wasteful expenditure to the already eye-watering wasted millions.
If the Mayor had read the City’s Annual Financial Statements, or requested a briefing from the MPAC Committee he would know the facts.
Instead, we have an Executive Mayor who is so concerned about his ANC elective conference that he chose to host a press conference filled with misinformation devoid of facts. A move that insults residents and erodes public trust.
This is the pattern: grandstanding, blame-shifting, and no accountability while service delivery collapses. Then an unconstitutional structure like the ‘bomb squad’ to help him win an ANC Regional congress.
That is why the DA has called on National Treasury to investigate contracts at the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) to ascertain if there are any contracts the mayor and his Executive might be benefitting from, before more of the residents’ money is looted.
The DA will not stand by while misinformation is being peddled and will continue to expose this ANC-led coalition’s failures.
We will fight to protect every cent of public funds. Johannesburg’s residents deserve leadership that tells the truth — and delivers results. A DA government will ensure money is spent on service delivery and ensure that officials who are responsible for wasteful and fruitless expenditure are brought to book.