The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) has issued an urgent directive to political parties ahead of the upcoming November local government election, warning that Johannesburg's compounding infrastructure and management crisis will never be resolved without a complete overhaul of how municipal leaders and boards are appointed.

In its newly released third Johannesburg Matters series report, the think tank urged all contesting political parties to publicly commit to transparent, competitive and merit-based appointments.

Furthermore, the CDE demands that political office-bearers be kept out of procurement, appointments and daily operational decisions.

"If there is a coalition, this commitment must be a non-negotiable component of the coalition agreement. No turnaround strategy will succeed if the institutions responsible for implementing it remain weak, politicised, and poorly led," said CDE executive director Ann Bernstein.

Since 2016, the City of Johannesburg has cycled through nine mayors and eight coalition administrations.

According to the CDE, this constant shifting has transformed crucial city entities into political "fiefdoms" controlled by competing factions.

In these environments, cadre deployment and political allegiance routinely override professional skills and experience.

The consequences of this patronage system are laid bare in the city’s profound leadership gaps, with the CDE noting that zero professionally qualified engineers currently sit on the board of Johannesburg Water.

Bernstein said at least seven of the city's 24 most senior management positions are filled by temporary, acting appointees and added that persistent vacancies continue to plague critical operational fields, including engineering, finance, ICT, project management and supply-chain oversight.

"Senior appointments and board positions cannot continue to be treated as political bargaining chips," Bernstein urged, stressing that the city must decisively sever the link between shifting political coalitions and administrative hiring.

To reverse the decay, the CDE argues that Johannesburg requires a highly capable city manager selected through a rigorous, transparent and competitive process built to match the enormity of the turnaround challenge.

Bernstein urged the municipality to start immediately with Johannesburg Water, City Power, and Pikitup.

She explained that these newly structured boards – built around an experienced, appropriate chairperson – must secure highly capable CEOs and must rigorously hold management teams accountable for measurable operational results.

Additionally, the CDE advises that the incoming provisional government identify the city’s mission-critical positions and conduct an immediate audit of the personnel occupying them, ideally before officially taking office.

Recognising that permanent, high-quality recruitment takes time, Bernstein noted that some interventions cannot wait while infrastructure faces imminent collapse.

To prevent further deterioration, the CDE advocates for innovative and speedy interim measures.

A new administration may need to inject independent technical and professional expertise into specific, time-limited assignments while permanent leadership is being finalised.

However, Bernstein emphasised that these emergency arrangements must remain subject to strict agreed targets, full transparency and clear accountability.

"Appointing capable people will not repair a water pipe or solve the City’s financial problems overnight," Bernstein said.

"But none of the wider reforms required to turn Johannesburg around will succeed if the institutions responsible for implementing them remain weak, politicised, plagued with corruption and poorly led. People trump policy."

Full report attached.