The City of Johannesburg’s customer service centre in Thuso House, Braamfontein, has been closed temporarily and the Sheriff of the Court has attached assets because of unsettled debt. (Photo: WCJ / Wikipedia) The City of Johannesburg has admitted that the Sheriff of the Court removed municipal assets from its Thuso House customer service centre on Friday after a payment dispute, forcing the temporary closure of the Braamfontein facility, before the City paid more than R3.4-million to settle the matter.
Thuso House is the City’s main customer service centre, serving thousands of residents with municipal billing and account enquiries.
In a statement issued on Friday, 3 July 2026, the City confirmed that it had made a payment of “over R3.4-million”, describing the matter as “settled and closed”.
“The City can confirm that the necessary arrangements are being concluded with the Sheriff to return all items that were removed,” City spokesperson Virgil James said.
/file/attachments/orphans/EZz0qyzXYAIZAfc_497388.jpg "Thuso House is home to the City of Johannesburg’s main customer service centre. (Photo: X)")
The City blamed the delayed payment on “system glitches” and said the Thuso House customer service centre would reopen once the necessary logistical arrangements had been completed.
“The City apologises to the residents for the inconvenience caused,” James said.
The admission follows a public notice issued earlier this week informing residents that the Thuso House Customer Service Centre had been temporarily closed from 1 July owing to unspecified “unforeseen circumstances”, while directing customers to alternative service centres.
However, the City has not disclosed the nature of the debt that led to the Sheriff’s execution, the court order under which the assets were attached, the identity of the creditor, what assets were removed, or why the matter was allowed to reach the point where the Sheriff had to intervene, saying a full explanation would be given on Monday.
The incident follows a series of recent cash-flow-related disruptions across the metro. Two weeks ago, the Johannesburg Roads Agency temporarily suspended operations after running out of fuel. However, emergency funding was secured to restore services.
Daily Maverick also reported that Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department vehicles were briefly affected during a payment dispute involving fleet management company Afrirent, with the City subsequently making an urgent payment to resolve the issue. The Thuso House incident is the latest example of Johannesburg’s financial pressures spilling over into frontline municipal operations.
Democratic Alliance finance spokesperson Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the incident illustrated the severity of the City’s financial position.
/file/attachments/orphans/ED_595061_584079.jpg "The DA’s finance spokesperson, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku. (Photo: Gallo Images / Sharon Seretlo)")
“It is an absolute disgrace that residents are witnessing this in what is supposed to be a world-class African city. The fact that the Sheriff of the Court is attaching City of Johannesburg assets, including computers and office furniture, is a clear indication of how badly the City’s finances are.
“Officials have advised us that this relates to a court order dating back to 2010, which raises serious questions as to why it is only being enforced now.
“The Democratic Alliance will be putting questions to the relevant MMC to establish the full extent of Bayete Capital’s business dealings with the City of Johannesburg, particularly in light of the City’s severe financial distress, as highlighted by the Minister of Finance and the Auditor-General.
“Residents deserve full transparency and accountability. We will continue to pursue this matter to ensure that the facts are brought to light and there is accountability,” she added.
The latest developments come against the backdrop of Johannesburg’s worsening financial crisis. Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana recently told Parliament that the metro owes creditors R25.2-billion while holding only R3.9-billion in cash reserves, warning that the City’s deteriorating liquidity threatens its financial sustainability. The Auditor-General has also repeatedly highlighted weaknesses in the City’s financial management and governance.
The City has yet to explain whether the R3.4-million payment represents the full settlement of the debt or only the amount required to halt the Sheriff’s execution, nor has it identified the creditor or the legal proceedings that culminated in municipal assets being attached.
Bayete Capital, owners of Thuso House, did not respond to Daily Maverick’s requests for comment by the time of publication. DM