Where is Joburg's money going?
Looting continues to cost the country billions, with the Treasury seemingly playing a losing game.
The City of Johannesburg is cash-strapped and has been given an ultimatum by the Treasury to correct wasteful expenditure.
Treasury has reportedly written to Joburg mayor Dada Morero to give him two weeks to respond with a plan to stop the squandering of funds and take action against offending officials.
It also reportedly threatened to withhold grant funding if the city’s finances weren’t brought under control.
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Making money
The City has meanwhile embarked on an aggressive revenue collection campaign to replenish its coffers
Its power utility, City Power, has been held several operations to disconnect individuals, businesses and whole communities that do not pay for electricity owed.
The DA in Gauteng claims the City is using Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers to collect revenue by setting a target for them to collect R7 000 in fines daily.
“This effectively turns law enforcement into a revenue-generating system rather than a public safety service,” the party’s Michael Sun told The Citizen.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla denied the DA’s claims.
“The JMPD would like to emphasise that our enforcement operations are conducted with the primary goal of maintaining safety and order on the city’s roads.”
“As part of their duties, officers are expected to issue citations when a motorist is found to be in violation of traffic laws,” he told The Citizen.
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