GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General
29 September 2025
The GOOD Party congratulates our National Chairperson and City of Johannesburg Councillor, Matthew Cook, on his election as the City of Johannesburg’s Chairperson of Finance Section 79 Oversight Committee.
As GOOD, we are proud to have Councillor Cook included in the team working to move Johannesburg forward. His appointment is both a recognition of his capabilities and a critical opportunity to help restore stability, transparency, and accountability in the City’s finances.
For far too long, the residents of Johannesburg have endured leadership vacuums and financial mismanagement. As part of the new oversight leadership, we will work closely with other parties to bring much-needed change and stability to South Africa’s economic heart.
Following his election, Councillor Cook stated, “For too long, our City’s finances have been weakened by waste, inefficiency, and poor oversight. We cannot build the Johannesburg we all want, a City of opportunity, fairness, and dignity, if our money is leaking away through unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure.
That era must come to an end. As the newly elected Finance Chairperson, I will drive a programme of accountability, reform, and transparency.”
“Residents must know where their money has been lost and what’s being done about it. We cannot simply point fingers. We must fix the system. That means addressing the persistent failures in billing and revenue collection. It means ensuring that entities like City Power, Joburg Water, Pikitup, and JOSHCO are fully accountable for every cent they spend. It also means pushing for standard operating procedures that prevent budget adjustments from automatically creating unauthorised expenditure.”
“At the heart of Johannesburg’s finances are people. The pensioner waiting for water, the young person hoping for a job, the family who deserves to live in a clean, safe neighbourhood. We cannot ask them to pay more while we allow waste and irregularities to go unchecked.”
As GOOD, we reaffirm our commitment to putting the needs of residents first and to building cities that are ethical, accountable, and inclusive.
Media enquiries: media@forgood.org.za