Note to Editors: Please find an English soundbite by Cllr Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku here
The DA has served the City of Johannesburg with legal papers demanding an end to the ongoing violation of governance laws related to acting appointments in senior municipal positions. We also call on the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) to take immediate action to address this unlawful situation.
Despite the DA raising concerns in Council, a resolution was passed on 8 May 2025 that attempts to retroactively approve and extend the acting terms of seven senior officials — including the Acting City Manager. These appointments have already exceeded the legal three-month limit and are now without any lawful basis.
The DA is calling on all affected officials to immediately step down from their positions unless a lawful appointment process is undertaken.
The DA demands that the MEC formally reject any attempt by Council to extend these expired acting roles.
Under existing legislation, acting appointments can only last for three months unless extended once by the MEC under exceptional circumstances. No such justification exists in this case, and any continued occupation of these posts is both unlawful and unconstitutional.
The City has had ample time to fill these positions permanently. Instead, we are seeing a pattern of ongoing delays and a total disregard for the rule of law.
We urge the Mayor, Speaker, and MEC to correct the process, and uphold the principles of good governance.
Failure to do so leaves the DA with no option but to consider further legal action — including approaching the courts — if the City and MEC do not act by Friday, 16 May 2025.
The DA stands for the rule of law, good governance and accountability.
These types of failures are precisely why we have tabled a Motion of No Confidence in the Executive Mayor, Dada Morero.