Budgets, Reports and New Posts — But Where Is Accountability?

Johannesburg’s Governance Crisis Is Still Unresolved

The Joburg Crisis Alliance warns that the City of Johannesburg’s 35th Ordinary Council meeting revealed ongoing problems with vague contract reporting, costly short-term tenders, and slow procurement, all undermining accountability. While making Council documents public is a positive step, the Alliance stresses that true transparency requires more than procedural compliance. The creation of a Deputy Mayor role is noted, but without clear accountability, it may worsen public distrust during a time of service delivery failures and financial strain.

Why Transparency and Accountability Still Matter in Johannesburg

The 35th Ordinary Sitting of the City of Johannesburg Council again exposed persistent weaknesses in governance and oversight. For civil society, the meeting confirmed that transparency remains largely procedural, with limited impact on improving service delivery.

Key Supply Chain Management reports were tabled with insufficient detail on major contract awards, expiring contracts, procurement delays and contract amendments. This continues despite significant expenditure on maintenance and security services, while infrastructure decay and service failures remain visible across the city.

Although the reporting of zero procurement deviations was welcomed, compliance on paper does not equal accountability in practice. Meaningful transparency requires proactive disclosure of risks, supplier verification processes and contract amendments — not minimal compliance reporting.

The Joburg Crisis Alliance welcomes the decision to make Council and Section 79 Committee documents publicly accessible, a long-overdue legal obligation. Whether this translates into real public oversight will depend on consistent and complete implementation.

The decision to create a Deputy Mayor position, amid ongoing political instability and service delivery failures, further raises concerns. Without clear mandates, public job descriptions and measurable accountability, expanding political office risks