Political Parties DA and ActionSA Welcome Court Ruling That Johannesburg VIP Protection Is Unlawful

• The Democratic Alliance has applauded the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg for ruling against the City of Johannesburg's VIP protection policy
• The court rules that the excessive security for municipal officials who are not under clear and present danger violates the law
• ActionSA said it was against this policy from the beginning, which allocated 18 bodyguards to the mayor and council speaker

With over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, offered insights into South African politics, national, provincial and local governance, the Government of National Unity, political parties and Parliament.

JOHANNESBURG — Johannesburg opposition parties ActionSA and the Democratic Alliance (DA) applauded the South Gauteng High Court for ruling on 2 January 2024 that the City of Johannesburg's VIP protection for the mayor and speaker of the council is unlawful.

What does the judgement say?

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According to SABC News, the judgement has been suspended until 14 February. The City has been given additional time to provide a threat and risk analysis to justify the money used to allocate security details to the executive mayor and the speaker. The policy allocated 10 bodyguards to the mayor of the city and eight bodyguards to the council's speaker. Recently, there was an uproar when the City Council greenlit salary increases in November 2024, which saw Dada Morero receiving over R87,000 more than the previous year.

What do the political parties say?

The DA's Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the party has always believed that money should not be spent providing politicians with expensive bodyguards but should be used for citizens. The DA also recently slammed Joburg Mayor Dada Morero, announcing in December that he would move his offices to the Usindiso Building, which burned down in 2023, resulting in 77 deaths.

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ActionSA's Joburg Caucus chief whip Zack Lebatlang said the party initially opposed the policy. He said resources should be redirected towards service delivery. He added that the Council Speaker, Nobuhle Mthembu, a member of ActionSA, did not enjoy an entourage and a team of bodyguards accompanying her.

Joburg Water board must be dissolved: DA

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Democratic Alliance called for the Johannesburg Water Board to be dissolved. The party cited a lack of professionals to ensure the SOE runs efficiently.

The party's Nicole Van Dyk also noted that Johannesburg Water should be given the power to collect its revenues. She said cadre deployment and incompetence have plagued the board, affecting the SOE's ability to provide water and resolve the water crisis.

Source: Briefly News