Fransisco Panaino, chairperson of the Southeast Midrand Suburban Alliance (Semsa), has raised serious concerns about the lack of governance in Ward 110.

He warned that the absence of effective leadership had turned the area into a hotspot for lawlessness and unchecked transgressions.

Panaino said the community was grappling with a range of criminal activities, including the unlawful occupation of land, clandestine and unregulated commercial operations, such as illicit trucking companies and scrap yards, and large-scale housing developments on properties not zoned for such use.

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Many of these buildings, he added, were unsafe and failed to meet basic building codes or standards. Semsa represents the suburbs of President Park, Glen Austin Extension 3, and Austin View.

“We have been unofficially informed that municipal authorities often do not respond to ratepayers’ associations or community groups directly, only to ward councillors. In Ward 110, we effectively do not have a functioning councillor, leaving our communities vulnerable to ongoing misuse of property and infrastructure with no accountability or channels for escalation,” said Panaino.

He emphasised that this governance vacuum not only eroded public trust but also placed an unfair and unsustainable burden on residents, who continue to pay rates and taxes without receiving the essential services and protections those payments are meant to guarantee.

Panaino clarified that Semsa’s public appeal was not about assigning blame, but about demanding transparency, accountability, and immediate action from both the councillor’s office and the City of Johannesburg.

“The current situation is unsustainable, and further silence from leadership will only deepen the crisis. Semsa remains committed to collaboration and solution-driven dialogue, but we can no longer be expected to operate in a vacuum of leadership. We respectfully request: a formal response from councillor Angie Mphaho, immediate action from the city to enforce by-laws and halt illegal developments, and urgent municipal oversight to restore law enforcement and service delivery.”

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He also called for formal recognition of community structures such as Semsa as legitimate stakeholders, especially in cases where councillor engagement was absent or inactive, noting that residents deserved better.

Panaino concluded by reaffirming Semsa’s commitment to advocating for the safety, dignity, and lawful management of Ward 110.

In a previous article, Southeast Midrand Suburban Alliance bemoans councillor’s two unanswered letters [Week ending November 7], Mphaho responded that she had not responded to the letters because she had not been feeling well.

The publication attempted to contact her on November 13, 17, and 18. Mphaho said her phone battery had been low, and there was an attempt to contact her again on November 24, but to no avail.

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