Johannesburg is facing a moment of profound uncertainty, with civic leaders warning that the stakes could not be higher as the city approaches the 2026 Local Government Elections (LGE).
This was the central focus of the Johannesburg Crisis Alliance (JCA)’s ninth summit, held on March 28 at Marks Park Sports Club.

Under the theme: Elections 2026 – What’s At Stake? the gathering brought together community leaders and residents to confront what the alliance describes as a deepening governance crisis. Since the previous JCA summit in December 2025, troubling signs have intensified, the JCA reports.

Read more: Johannesburg Crisis Alliance reveals the real state of Johannesburg at summit

Political instability within the city’s coalition has eroded consistent leadership, while repeated no-confidence motions and ongoing rumours of leadership changes have created an atmosphere of uncertainty.
Executive director Neeshan Bolton said the instability reflects a broader failure of accountability and that uncertainty at the leadership level continues to undermine confidence.

He questioned why leaders are seldom held responsible for failing to deliver. “Nobody feels that they have a responsibility to step down, and that is what we need to be asking,” he said, calling for clearer expectations and consequences for those in office.

The alliance also raised concerns about governance processes, pointing to the delayed adoption of the adjustment budget and the failure to table key financial reports as signs of weakening transparency and accountability.

Beyond City Hall, the consequences are being felt across communities with service delivery failures – most notably the ongoing water crisis – that have sparked protests and frustrations in areas such as Melville and Midrand, which have experienced prolonged outages.

Describing Johannesburg as a ‘broke and broken city in a turbulent world,’ the summit highlighted the following indicators of systemic decline:

• High unemployment
• Low economic growth
• Declining public trust
• Rising lawlessness

JCA member Lisa Seftel warned that simply changing mayoral leadership would not be enough to reverse the city’s trajectory. “Without structural reforms and genuine accountability, such changes risk being superficial.”

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Instead, the alliance is calling for quality, competent, and responsive leadership with integrity and a proven record of public service. It is also urging stronger collaboration with workers and communities to address service delivery failures. As part of its response, the JCA is intensifying its campaign ahead of the elections, focusing on improving service delivery, empowering residents to hold leaders accountable, and encouraging non-partisan civic participation.

This includes engaging political parties and officials, building the capacity of civic activists, and encouraging greater involvement from young people.

As Johannesburg stands at a crossroads with eight months left before the elections, the message from the summit was clear: the choices made now, by leaders and residents, will determine whether the city continues to decline or begins a path to recovery.

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