The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg has rejected the proposed Adjustment Budget after it failed to pass in Council yesterday. The DA, together with the Freedom Front Plus, voted against the budget, while ActionSA and the Economic Freedom Fighters chose to abstain.
Earlier this week, the DA served the City with legal papers demanding that the Politically Facilitated Agreement (PFA) be removed from the budget due to several serious inconsistencies and the significant financial risk it poses to the City. The DA believes that the inclusion of the PFA would place an unsustainable financial burden on the municipality and ultimately bankrupt the City, diverting critical funds away from much-needed service delivery to residents.
At a time when Johannesburg faces an infrastructure backlog estimated at hundreds of billions of rands, residents expect responsible governance and a budget that prioritises fixing roads, restoring reliable electricity, maintaining water infrastructure, and improving basic services. Instead, the current administration has attempted to push through a budget that prioritises escalating employee costs and political agreements over the needs of residents.
The DA will not support an adjusted budget that places employee costs above service delivery. Johannesburg’s finances must be protected so that every available rand goes towards addressing the City’s infrastructure crisis and improving the lives of residents.
While the budget failed to pass, scenes of singing and celebration from members of the governing party, the African National Congress, reflected a worrying disregard for the seriousness of the City’s financial position. Johannesburg residents deserve leadership that treats the budget with the gravity it demands.
The DA remains committed to holding the administration accountable and will continue to fight for a responsible, transparent budget that prioritises service delivery and the long-term financial stability of the City of Johannesburg.