DA welcomes civil society support for dissolution of the Joburg council

2 November 2023

The DA welcome the call by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and OUTA, amongst others, for urgent action to rescue Johannesburg.

On 4 October 2023 the DA announced that we would table a motion to dissolve the Joburg council because governance has failed in the city of Johannesburg - the City is being run through motions submitted in council in order to ensure service delivery. Roads are collapsing, rules of council are not being adhered to and city owned buildings are not maintained to the extent that they catch fire. Moreover, it is alleged that, despite high rate increases imposed on residents, the city hasn't paid Eskom in full.

We can confirm that we will formally table this motion at the next sitting of the programming committee on 17 November 2023. We call on the Speaker to urgently schedule this motion for debate and a vote, as the people of Johannesburg have suffered enough.

We also call on all political parties that truly want to put the interest of Joburg residents first, to support this motion. It is time to go back to the people for a fresh election to end the instability that has destroyed service delivery.

The DA will also write to the authors of the letter to urgently meet with them and offer our collaboration in the effort to rescue Joburg.

The truth is that the Joburg council has the power to solve this crisis without national government intervention, by doing the right thing and voting in support of the DA's motion to dissolve the council.

Now is the time to rise above petty politics, go back to the voters for fresh election, and rescue Joburg.

Issued by Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, DA Johannesburg Caucus Leader, 2 November 2023