The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg welcomes City Power’s decision to reverse its attempt to sideline Ward Councillors under the guise of “improved communication”.
English soundbite by Cllr Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku
This development vindicates the DA’s firm position that City Power cannot undermine the constitutional and legislative role of Ward Councillors, particularly when residents are left without electricity beyond prescribed Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Yesterday, the DA formally wrote to the City Manager requesting urgent intervention following misleading communication by City Power, which implied that councillors would be removed from escalation platforms.
Following this intervention, City Power convened a meeting last night and confirmed that no staff will be removed from councillor escalation groups, and that no such instruction will be issued in writing.
We appreciate this correction, but it must be stated clearly:
Ward councillors are not a “nice to have”.
We have a constitutional mandate to intervene, escalate, and hold officials accountable when the City fails to deliver basic services within agreed timeframes.
As Councillors rightly emphasised, accountability and responsiveness are non-negotiable when residents are suffering without electricity, often for days on end.
The DA will not allow any municipal entity to erode oversight, weaken accountability, or place bureaucratic convenience above the lived reality of our residents.
DA councillors will continue to fight, relentlessly, for fairness, equality, and reliable service delivery for all Johannesburg residents.
The message is clear: accountability has prevailed, and the DA will always stand with residents.