GOOD Speech by Matthew Cook,
GOOD National Chairperson and City of Johannesburg Councillor
08 May 2025
Madam Speaker, Executive Mayor, fellow Councillors, and residents of Johannesburg, as the GOOD Party, we rise today to affirm our commitment to ethical leadership, spatial justice, and a sustainable, equitable Johannesburg. Yesterday, the Executive Mayor delivered his State of the City Address and it was a masterclass in political spin, grand visions, ambitious timelines, and lofty ideals. But the people of Johannesburg know better. They live the truth daily, with a city in deep and visible decline, barrelling towards oblivion with no end in sight.
Madame speaker, as GOOD we do however commend the Mayor on what he got right in his speech yesterday. The Mayor is correct when he says “The people of Johannesburg legitimately are concerned about the city they call home”. It is true: our city is in crisis, and this is no time for empty political theatre. We must now speak truth, offer solutions, and act with urgency.
Madame Speaker, I must note a concern, yesterday, we heard of a united GLU who is going to reimagine Johannesburg, however, everyone in this chamber could see that the GLU is not united. Partners in the GLU didn’t pitch up or walked across the house during proceedings, while other GLU partners sat, arms folded, enjoying the perks of being in government while still behaving like an opposition.
Madame Speaker, it can’t be that in a “united GLU” which has over 190 of the 270 councillors in this chamber, that the Mayor has to repeat some of his specific SOCA pipe dreams to get a mediocre applause from a handful of his own colleagues, yet the biggest applause he receives, is when he creates a dramatic and over theatrical moment to teach his peers how to send an email.
Madame speaker, we do commend that there is a commitment to Spatial Redress and welcome the Mayor’s targeted investment of R3.03 billion in long-neglected communities like Diepsloot, Zandspruit, Orange Farm and Eldorado Park. We also welcome the Township Economic Reforms mentioned by the Mayor. He rightly points to the inequity in the Joburg Market system, where township traders spend billions with almost no local retention. GOOD will support reforms that empower informal traders, local farmers, and township-based logistics players.
However, Madame Speaker, there are far more alarm bells than praises.
The Mayor mentioned that international investors are looking at Johannesburg and are attracted by growth. Are they attracted by the growth of potholes? The growth of service delivery backlogs? The growth of decay? The growth of financial instability and debt?
Speaker, the Mayor mentioned that drastic times need drastic measures and that extreme action is needed. As GOOD, we agree. BUT after being in office for over 8 months, we want to ask the mayor, when will you start?
Speaker, the mayor also mentioned that last year, Joburg was reimagined.
The executive must have a good imagination as according to residents, nothing has changed and the problems are getting worse. Where is the Accountability? The mayor acknowledged that our city is financially unstable and service backlogs are worsening. But where is the accountability for the fiscal collapse? We cannot fix Joburg by repackaging the same leadership and expecting different results.
We as GOOD are also concerned about Private Sector Partnerships without guardrails. While we support collaboration, massive private sector investments like Steyn City’s R11.5 billion, risk reinforcing inequality if not matched with public interest conditions. Where are the equity clauses? Where are the inclusion targets, and public benefit measures?
We are also concerned that there is no clear climate adaptation plan. Johannesburg is not immune to climate shocks. Yet, in a 24-page address, there was no clear mention of a climate adaptation or disaster resilience strategy.
This is an omission that GOOD cannot overlook.
Madame Speaker, the Mayor’s proposed “Bomb Squad,” while theatrically named, lacks detail, accountability, and public oversight. GOOD cannot support the creation of vaguely defined executive structures that bypass democratic processes under the guise of urgency.
Speaker, the framing of migration and declaring a war on “undocumented migrants” risks inflaming xenophobia. Joburg’s problems are not caused by the poor, the foreign, or the informal, they are caused by corruption, poor planning, and political instability. GOOD demands a lawful, humane approach to migration and urban inclusion.
It is also concerning that not once did the speech mention corruption prevention, clean audits, or procurement reform. At a time when trust in the City is fragile, this silence is deafening. GOOD demands the implementation of an independent procurement watchdog and full audit transparency.
Speaker, let us move past slogans and crises of the month.
GOOD offers the following four proposals to this Council and Executive:
1) Publish the Turnaround Plan in full and subject it to public and civil society consultation.
2) Develop and table a Climate Resilience and Green Jobs Strategy within 90 days.
3) Pass a by-law mandating inclusionary zoning and community benefits in all mega developments.
4) Table a clear plan for a corruption-proof, transparent procurement and billing system.
Madam Speaker, Johannesburg is not short of plans. It is short of implementation, short of clean governance, and short of justice in how resources are distributed. As GOOD, we will remain principled, constructive, and vigilant. We will support what is good, and we will challenge what is unjust.
In closing Madame Speaker, I note that the Mayor commenced his speech by mentioning each of the democratic mayors of Johannesburg and stating their legacy.
As mentioned by the Mayor, there have been many Mayors who have used their time as mayor to attempt to make Johannesburg more financially viable, a cleaner city, eliminate poverty and attract investment. Some of those mayors must be turning in their graves at what has been undone over the past couple of years.
However, Madame Speaker, I must caution the Mayor not to become known as the mayor who can make plenty of promises but fails to deliver on them.
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