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<\/p>\nRabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za<\/p>\n
18 November 2025<\/p>\n
2-minute read<\/p>\n
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According to a Sunday Times report, Joburg Mayor Dada Morero has diverted billions of Rands from the city\u2019s budget to avert protests ahead of the G20 Summit set to take place in Johannesburg this week.<\/p>\n
With SAMWU threatening to close of major routes if they do not receive wage increases, spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg, Nthatisi Modingoane, refutes claims that Mayor Morero was blackmailed, stating that he has never seen an article so \u201criddled with lies as that one\u201d.<\/p>\n
Modingoane states that from 2016, the core issue with SAMWU was that the grading of the municipality is skewed, with employees being remunerated at grade 8 level instead of grade 10 level. On Friday, an agreement was reached to close those gaps and disparities, and a final draft agreement was presented this morning. Once this has been signed, the City will need to assess where savings can be found and how the agreement can be met. Furthermore, under the Municipal Finance Management Act, no-one will be allowed to bypass the budget and move around funds without a proper budget review process.<\/p>\n
Citing the protests at the U20 Summit in September, Modingoane says that organised labour is known to use international gatherings to sway the people. However, he emphasizes that the National Security Cluster is ready for any eventuality leading up to and during the G20.<\/p>\n
In terms of Rands and cents, for the current financial year, they need about R1.2billion to \u201cdeal with the gaps\u201d and about to R4.1billion for the upcoming years. Modingoane states that money has not been diverted to fast-track upgrades for sprucing up the city as \u201cthere is no separate budget for the G20 in the city\u2019s current budget.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we have to get our city right, let\u2019s start with the basics.\u201d He mentions that the amount of just over R8billion in the capital budget will be used to beautify the spaces at city parks, fix the roads, lights and traffic lights, at a rapid pace.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work has always been done,\u201d he says, but with issues of lawlessness and vandalism, it appears not to have been done in the past. Law enforcement and security clusters have been put in place to deal with issues of vandalism leading up to the G20. Although there are no new interventions and these plans were always on the cards, Modingoane says that they have \u201cupped the game\u201d in terms of the enforcement of laws and by-laws.<\/p>\n
The spokesperson assures the public that the current leadership has reinstated the disciplinary board within the city so that allegations of corruption can be adequately dealt with and senior managers will be held responsible. They are confident that the Auditor General will find that the funds have been used effectively.<\/p>\n