Honourable Deputy Speaker, the ACDP has consistently called for accountability for non-compliance of municipal legislative frameworks and for the appointment of able, trustworthy men and women, who fear God and who hate dishonest gain in local government structures.
The oversight report confirms what residents already know, that Merafong and Johannesburg are plagued by collapsing infrastructure, irregular expenditure and poor financial controls.
In Tshwane, the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) Q1 Report reveals that “performance indicators with no quarterly targets” remain unresolved, and that “notable variances” in service delivery persist across departments. This is not merely administrative failure, it is a breach of public trust.
We note with alarm the recent media coverage of Johannesburg’s water crisis, where residents in Brixton and Crosby endured dry taps for weeks due to “infrastructure neglect and poor coordination between city and provincial officials.”
In Merafong, social media posts from ward councillors have highlighted “unresolved sewerage spills and uncollected refuse”, despite repeated community petitions.
The ACDP calls for forensic audits, strengthened municipal ethics frameworks, and the urgent capacitation of ward committees to restore dignity and responsiveness in local governance.
As kingdom builders, the ACDP commends the committee’s efforts, but oversight visits must be matched by consequence management. They should not be tickbox exercises to observe dysfunction, but must be accompanied by action to bring about the necessary intervention to correct it.
The ACDP has led by example with our honourable MPL, Dulton Adams, leading the charge in the city of Johannesburg, and who, without pay, goes to clean the city street by street. The ACDP leads by example.
Thank you Deputy Speaker.
