ActionSA leader and the party’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba has formally requested the intervention of Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to oversee and monitor National Treasury funds bound for the cash-strapped City of Johannesburg. 

In a letter sent on Monday, Mashaba recommended the immediate deployment of a technical support team to track the implementation and usage of any funds transferred to the municipality.  

The move comes as the city faces a liquidity crisis, reportedly operating with a mere nine days of cash reserves left in its coffers. 

The city is currently relying heavily on the reinstatement of its R3.6-billion equitable share allocation to remain operational.  

National Treasury withheld the allocation earlier this month, citing the city's persistent failure to adhere to fiscal discipline alongside escalating rates of unauthorised, wasteful, and irregular expenditure. 

In his correspondence, Mashaba questioned whether the City of Johannesburg has submitted a satisfactory financial recovery plan before the frozen funds are released.  

He further requested clarity on the specific mechanisms Treasury intends to deploy to guarantee that the allocations are used strictly for their intended purposes. 

The current financial strain follows previous warnings to the city from Godongwana regarding a controversial R10-billion wage agreement with municipal unions.  

National Treasury has deemed that agreement illegal owing to the city's clear inability to afford it. 

Mashaba emphasised that the city has reached a “breaking point” that is placing service delivery, infrastructure investment, and investor confidence at extreme risk.  

Defending the intervention request, Mashaba stated that the appeal was not a matter of political posturing. 

"Neither is it intended to interfere with the constitutional autonomy of National Treasury and the City’s administration," Mashaba said. 

"It is in the interest of residents who deserve leaders who adhere to lawful financial administration and safeguarding the long-term sustainability of Africa’s economic mecca." 

ActionSA has blamed the city's current leadership, including Mayor Dada Morero, alleging a systemic failure to uphold the basic governance and fiscal management competencies required under the Municipal Finance Management Act.