The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg will take the City’s worsening governance crisis to national government, as residents continue to suffer collapsing service delivery while employee costs take precedence over basic services.
It is an absolute disgrace that CEOs and Managing Directors of municipal entities, along with the Executive leadership, are taking home millions of rand in salaries and performance bonuses while residents are left in the dark, without water, and surrounded by failing infrastructure.
Johannesburg residents are being asked to accept less and pay more, while the City prioritises employee costs over service delivery.
All of this is happening under the watch of the ANC/EFF/PA coalition, which has failed to exercise the leadership and oversight required to turn the City around. Instead of prioritising service delivery, this administration has allowed a culture of entitlement to flourish, as public servants in name only, are monetarily rewarded for poor performance. Inefficiency carries no consequences and residents are treated as an afterthought.
The DA will write to National Treasury, the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to request:
- Urgent scrutiny of the City’s expenditure on salaries, benefits, and performance bonuses across municipal entities.
- A comprehensive review of the financial position of all entities within the City of Johannesburg.
- Urgent scrutiny of all salary structures and performance agreements entered into at municipal entities.
- A full review of procurement practices across all entities.
- Lifestyle audits for all senior management at municipal entities.
It is unacceptable that residents are left without basic services while failure within the system is tolerated and even rewarded.
The DA will continue to fight for accountable leadership, responsible spending, and a City that works for all its residents.