How Joburg execs break salary rules

1. Joburg’s municipal entity managers earn the most in the country – deliver little

Anna Cox reveals:

• City of Joburg executives earn up to nearly R4.8-million a year – far above national benchmarks.
• This while core services – electricity, water and waste removal – have steadily deteriorated.
• On average, executive pay has increased by around 26% since 2022 – well above inflation and the 3.3% public sector guideline.
• The city says it’s all benchmarked and above board – but is it?

2. Auditor-General confirms R30-million spent on water tankers but says R4-billion diverted from water has not left the city

Lerato Mutsila reports:

In a report to Parliament last week, the Auditor-General confirmed the parlous state of the city’s finances but said that R4-billion swept from a water revenue account could be accounted for. WaterCan executive director Dr Ferrial Adam says that’s not the point: what is, is that the money is not being spent on water infrastructure and systems. Johannesburg Water is currently throttling water to certain communities for up to 16 hours a day.

3. Homeless people moved ahead of G20

Bheki C Simelane reports here that the city has engaged in clearing out homeless people encamped in the inner city ahead of the G20. The problem: it has never expanded the number of homeless shelters.

4. Felix Dlangamandla takes you inside an eviction.

Our chief photographer, Felix Dlangamandla, was at an eviction and shows you how it happens. (I find them unbearably cruel and short-sighted.) Why not plan for homeless people in a rich city with a budget of R89-billion? Because it’s all being splurged on executives.

5. The art is back!

My heart sang this week at the Standard Bank Art gallery in the city as a capsule exhibition was opened by executive mayor Dada Morero – it is part of the collection that had gone on loan in ways that raised many concerns as reported by my Currency News colleague Giulietta Talevi here.

Morero promised that by July 2027 the Johannesburg Art Gallery would be re-opened in a refurb that will heal it after years of mismanagement as I reported here.

You can read our full collection on the JAG here.

Naledi Mashishi reports on the return of the art here and on the plans for the JAG future.

JOBURG 'PERSON OF THE DAY'

Artist Patrick Rulore’s works explore light and shadow to evoke the quiet dramas of everyday life. Based at the Asisebenze studios in the inner city, he uses illumination to highlight deeper emotional and social realities. But his unique African perspective adds layers to these global artistic traditions. Rulore is part of a rising arts scene in the inner city. For every pothole and power outage, there’s an artist making beauty and meaning out of our crazy world.

HEARD RECENTLY

“US President Donald Trump wasn’t at the G20 Leaders’ Summit when it kicked off at Nasrec in Johannesburg on Saturday, but he did make an ‘appearance’ in Soweto.”

Victoria O’Regan, on Trump while visiting an Oxfam International protest in Soweto.

“It’s a position of principle. America chose to boycott this summit. That’s their prerogative to do so. But what cannot happen is breach of protocol being forced down our throats.”

Vincent Magwenya, while discussing America's abscence from the G20.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

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