It is no exaggeration to say that duplicity and politics go hand in hand. Over the past few weeks, our newsroom has been following and reporting on cut-off operations by a multidisciplinary team from the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) targeting errant and defaulting customers. The teams have been led at the highest level, either by Mayor Dada Morero or in a recent case, by his deputy Loyiso Masuku. The latter led an operation in the Midrand/Kyalami area which included teams from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), Joburg Water, City Power, other City entities and members of the City administration.
We have all seen the fervour and buoyancy in Morero's speech and step as he led teams on a raid in Small Street, shutting down shops operating illegally or those accused of breaking by-laws.
Masuku led an early morning operation earlier this month, disconnecting businesses and households that owed the City money. "We are out on a revenue collection drive where we are targeting large power users and large water users. Part of the drive is to recoup money that belongs to the City and also to encourage businesses to pay the City. Unfortunately, we are going to do disconnections, and the businesses will have to come back to reapply and start from scratch," she told OCN multimedia reporter Freddy Letsoalo on 5 June.
Ordinarily, a City administration that takes revenue collection seriously should be commended, if not applauded. Then again, that would be akin to the proverbial praising of a fish for swimming.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
My cynicism aside, we should be wary of political theatre disguised as law enforcement. Unfortunately, Masuku's words ring hollow given that the very same CoJ is owed over R2 million by current and former councillors, yet it refuses to name and shame them citing privacy laws.
In this newsletter, Mandisa Ndlovu's story tells us that the combined outstanding debt for staff and councillors now stands at R74.2 million.
But when asked whether the City would name and shame the errant councillors, CoJ Director of Communications and Stakeholder Management, Kgamanyane Maphologela, refused to provide their names.
"The City subscribes to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). Councillors report to the Speaker of Council in the City of Johannesburg," he said. One would argue that POPIA should not apply when it comes to public representatives given the inherent public interest in their roles. This is rich coming from the same City that was naming names and taking cameras to the homes and premises of defaulting businesses.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Are they less deserving of privacy than public representatives? If the student accommodation and properties at Kyalami Estate, where police officers scaled walls, could be exposed with no regard for privacy laws, why should equally errant councillors be treated differently?
Should Morero and Masuku not be leading these teams to their fellow councillors' homes and cutting them off? Now, that would be leadership. But that won't happen in this lifetime.
And that should tell you everything you need to know. The very public "revenue collection" is nothing but political theatre aimed at swaying opinions ahead of the upcoming local government elections.
- Ngalwa is the Editor-in-Chief of Our City News
