Ahead of the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit, to be held in November, in Johannesburg, Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga is demanding answers on whether the Joburg Bomb Squad (JBS) and the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group are constitutional, expressing concerns of a deepening crisis in the City.

Last month Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero launched the JBS, a specialised unit that aims to tackle crime and enhance service delivery in the metro, and in March President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the proposal of a Presidential Johannesburg Working Group to accelerate service delivery, stabilise the city’s finances and operations, and enable economic growth and job creation.

Msimanga explained that if these bodies were constitutional, his party demand to know where the funding was from, as well as disclosure how much had been spent and by whom.

The DA has been vocal about Morero’s initiative, calling it a “ploy” to help African National Congress cadres who have “fallen on hard times”.

The party said it was unclear what the purpose of the Bomb Squad was and whether it was part of a comprehensive plan to turn service delivery around in Joburg.

“…currently it seems like Morero has run out of plans and is scared to be outdone by the Presidential Working Group for Joburg which was established because of his failures. Thus, making Morero’s initiative nothing more than a public relations stunt to save his own image of being incompetent,” said DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku.

The DA wants the terms of reference for both the Bomb Squad and the Presidential Working Group and clear accountability measures to ensure that any wasted funds can be recovered.

Msimanga noted that since Ramaphosa’s “highly publicised” visit to Johannesburg the executive of the City had only managed to deepen the crisis the City faced, pointing out that taps regularly ran dry.

“City entities like Joburg Water are unable to ensure water for weeks on end across the metro – currently hundreds of thousands are without water. Road infrastructure has all but collapsed. In the heart of Sandton, a two-story deep hole that stretches across a major road has remained unfilled for over a year,” he said.

Msimanga further noted the slow progress on repairs to Lillian Ngoyi street.

In 2023, sections of Lillian Ngoyi street were ripped up when a gas blast rocked the busy city centre.

“Residents of Johannesburg have a need for the City to return to a working City. One where roads are accessible, streetlights work, and their needs are both heard and addressed. This entire exercise cannot be one that window-dresses certain areas, just so that foreign dignitaries can feel comfortable being chauffeured around the City’s streets,” Msimanga said.