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Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has now given the City of Johannesburg until Friday to explain why National Treasury should not withhold funding from the metro. This is an extraordinary step and a clear indication that Johannesburg's financial crisis has become a matter of national concern.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has spent years warning that the ANC-led administration is driving Johannesburg towards financial collapse through poor governance, reckless spending, unfunded commitments and a complete failure to get the basics right.

Residents are living with the consequences every day: water outages, electricity failures, uncollected refuse, deteriorating infrastructure and now reports that municipal vehicles across departments have been left without fuel, further impacting service delivery.

At the same time, the DA has seen reports circulating that SAMWU is threatening industrial action following warning letters issued by Group Corporate & Shared Services (GCSS) Director after both the City Manager and Group CFO were allegedly held hostage during a Labour discussion on the R10 billion Politically Facilitated Agreement (PFA).

There are also allegations that commitments were made by Mayor Dada Morero to SAMWU that the PFA would be implemented before the 2026 Local Government Elections. If true, residents deserve answers as to why promises were being made when the City's finances were already under severe strain.

The DA supports the rights of workers. However, there can never be any justification for intimidation, unlawful conduct or the alleged detention of Senior Public officials to force them to violate the law.

The convergence of a Treasury ultimatum, a fuel crisis, labour instability and collapsing service delivery points to one unavoidable conclusion: The ANC is willing to totally collapse Johannesburg at the expense of residents.

Johannesburg is not a branch of the ANC. It belongs to its residents. The City should not be run to serve political interests, election promises or connected insiders while communities are left without basic services.

On 4 November 2026, residents will have a choice. They can choose more of the same decline, or they can choose change. They can vote for Helen Zille and the Democratic Alliance to restore accountability, stabilise the City's finances and get Johannesburg working again for all its residents.

The people of Johannesburg deserve better. They deserve a government that puts residents first.

Issued by Cllr Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku - DA Johannesburg Caucus Leader