Councillors demand fair slice of CoJ’s budget pie
Region F ward councillors called for a more equitable distribution of the city’s budget during a forum, expressing frustration that some wards remain overlooked while key roads go unrepaired.
The Region F ward councillors are calling for a fairer share of the CoJ’s budget, saying some areas remain overlooked while others benefit from repeated investment.
The issue took centre stage during the Regional Ward Councillors Forum, hosted online by the Citizen Relationship and Urban Management in Region F on October 3.
Chaired by regional director Irene Mafune, the meeting offered councillors a chance to raise service delivery concerns and engage directly with officials from key city entities, including the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), Joburg Water (JW), City Power (CP), Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) and the Joburg Property Company (JPC).
Each entity presented updates on current projects and progress made. The JRA reported that it had resurfaced 4.2km of its planned 12.71km of roads during the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, prioritising those with the worst surface failures.
JW spoke about leak repairs and supply improvements, CP shared maintenance updates, JCPZ highlighted ongoing tree-planting and horticultural work, and the JPC provided details of land availability and asset management.
Reports also touched on work in G20 priority areas, such as the Nasrec precinct in Ward 125, where the G20 will meet in November.
However, councillors were far from satisfied. Several voiced frustration that some reports, particularly the JRA’s resurfacing schedule, appeared unchanged from last year, and that key roads, including Rand Airport Road, remained unrepaired despite earlier commitments.
They warned that unequal funding allocations continue to disadvantage wards 58 and 125, which receive minimal attention compared to others.
Mafune acknowledged the councillors’ concerns and highlighted the progress made through the weekly Mayoral High-Impact Service Delivery Programme, especially in clearing backlogs in the inner city. She said sustaining improvements would require improved enforcement and more collaboration among departments.
“Collaborative efforts, better co-ordination and communication among entities are key to overcoming service delivery challenges,” said Mafune.
“Councillors have rightly raised concerns about entities leaving pavements unrepaired for months after installing cables or pipes. These issues must be addressed.”
The meeting concluded with a call for all city entities to submit monthly progress reports. These would improve accountability and ensure proper record-keeping.
