The Joburg Crisis Alliance (JCA) has called on every election candidate in Johannesburg to publicly commit to honest and accountable government. The call came at the alliance’s tenth summit in Parkview on Saturday, 17 October.
More than 250 people attended the summit, GroundUp reported. The JCA is a coalition of residents, activists and organisations working to end corruption and improve service delivery.
“Johannesburg’s residents struggle with unreliable water and electricity, deteriorating infrastructure, unsafe neighbourhoods, corruption and declining public services,” the JCA said.
The alliance said all 270 of the City’s councillors need to commit to accountable governance. It launched a Residents’ Call to Save Joburg at the summit.
“Residents have repeatedly told us they want leaders who are honest, visible, competent, accountable and who deliver results,” the JCA said. The alliance said it does not endorse any party or candidate.
It said residents should ask every candidate whether they will publicly make the commitments. The JCA also said it will monitor ten priority actions during the new administration’s first year.
Water is one of the biggest problems, according to the report. Between June 2025 and June 2026, more than 50,500 leaks were reported, mainly from old pipes.
An estimated R2.8 billion worth of water was lost in 2024/25. Johannesburg Water said it needs more than R64 billion over ten years for its turnaround plan.
The city reported electricity losses of more than R5.6 billion in 2024/25. In May, Eskom threatened to cut supply over a R5.2 billion debt, which has since been settled.
Pikitup’s rubbish trucks were largely grounded this winter by strikes over late payments to casual workers. The national regulator found half of the city’s sewage treatment plants in a critical state.
Dr Sithembile Mbete of the Public Affairs Research Institute told the summit that the municipality is in financial and administrative distress. She said this is despite it collecting over R81 billion in revenue in 2024/25.
The Auditor-General found nearly R3.7 billion in irregular expenditure in the City’s 2024/25 financial statements. It also found almost R2.4 billion in unauthorised expenditure.
The summit resolved to set up a Civic Watchdog to follow the money through budgets and procurement. JCA member Lisa Seftel said the City collects billions in revenue while services crumble.
The summit also called for an independent commission similar to the Madlanga commission. It asked for civilian oversight of the JMPD.
Attendees pointed to six administrations in the city since 2021. The JCA urged parties to form a majority government and to limit motions of no confidence unless criminality is shown.
Mbete and Wade Manning of Defend Our Democracy warned about false claims online. They said that with 75 parties on the ballot, results may take longer than usual.
A News24/SABI mayoral poll has Helen Zille of the DA on 36%. The ANC is on 27% and Herman Mashaba of ActionSA is on 13%.
The ANC has not named a final mayoral candidate. It has listed Dada Morero, Loyiso Masuku and Frank Chikane as possible choices.
Source: this article is based on reporting by GroundUp. Image: GroundUp. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.