Food crisis fuels rift between councillor and Cosmo City Residents Association
A food drive and a council meeting held on the same day have deepened divisions between Ward 100 councillor Lyborn Ndou and the Cosmo City Residents Association.
A growing food crisis in Cosmo City has exposed widening tensions between Ward 100 councillor Lyborn Ndou and the Cosmo City Residents Association (CCRA), with both sides accusing each other of failing the community.
The dispute began after Ndou scheduled a community-based planning (CBP) meeting on the same day as a large food drive held in Randburg earlier this month. The CCRA said this decision reflected a political disconnect and a lack of awareness of community priorities.
Read more: Randburg SPCA appeals for urgent food donations
In a statement titled: CCRA Statement on the Political Failures in Ward 100, released on October 25, the association accused the councillor of showing political inertia and administrative fumbling, while residents continue to struggle with hunger. “The turnout at the food drive was a cry of hunger,” the statement read. “Our residents are starving and waiting for action, not another meeting.”
The group pointed to official data showing that food insecurity remains a major concern across South Africa. According to government statistics, approximately 22.2% of households reported inadequate access to food in 2024, with an estimated 15 million people experiencing hunger daily.
Also read: Calling all foodies
Ndou, however, dismissed the accusations, saying the residents’ association is deliberately obstructing progress in the ward. “The CBP meeting was on the city’s calendar due to a mobilised community regarding demands and budget. The food drive was not on my calendar. To me, it was a sabotage of my meeting.”
Ndou insisted that the City of Johannesburg has previously supported food-related initiatives in the area, through the Department of Social Development, including small-scale gardening and agriculture projects.
He also claimed that: “CCRA was formed to fight city projects, especially Johannesburg Water, because people don’t want to buy water. We cannot have a city where people live by refusing to pay municipal services.”
The CCRA has called for the introduction of community-led food security programmes, alignment of planning meetings with community calendars, and stronger efforts to promote job creation and food self-reliance.
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