Joburg Advocacy Group (JAG)

Please Note

2011-12-24T12:34:00.020+02:00

THE JOBURG ADVOCACY GROUP WILL BE OPERATING ONLY ON A LIMITED, AD HOC BASIS IN 2012

Please refer to the post below for further information. Links to information leaflets for residents affected by the billing crisis and the city's cut-off campaign are available there. A link to JAG's document archives is also available there

The contact information of consumer, government and oversight agencies that may be able to help with other issues can be found in the sidebar.

We encourage all residents to become more actively involved in bringing about the changes in the city's system of governance that are so desperately needed at this time. Simple ways in which residents can do this on both an individual and collective basis are outlined in the post below.

Season's Greetings - and an Important Message

2011-12-23T11:35:00.031+02:00

Dear supporters, network partners, associates, and friends in the media and civil society,

Over the past three years, the five founding members of the Joburg Advocacy Group (JAG) have devoted literally thousands of hours a year to voluntary advocacy work. This, which we've done in addition to our usual work, family and social commitments, has consumed every aspect of our lives and has been exceptionally stressful. And, as we simply can't face another year like the past three, we'll be operating on a limited, ad hoc basis only in 2012. This especially as our voluntary work has increasingly been compromising our jobs, businesses and practices - and therefore our ability to earn a living.

As importantly, traditional advocacy work can only be effective within a system of governance that's at least notionally functional, which we believe ours no longer is.

The need for organised collective action in both the City of Joburg and the country as a whole is therefore becoming increasingly urgent.

In fact, we believe the socio-political change we so desperately need won't come from within the system of government, but only as a result of peaceful, direct action on the part of civil society.

So the choice is simple, really - organise and act collectively to ensure that we can all live in a fair, just, efficient and equitable society that reflects the ideals expressed in our Constitution and functions within the rule of law, or live with the consequences of not doing so.

We therefore encourage residents to:

Become more actively involved in the day-to-day issues that affect them;
Organise collectively through residents' associations and community groups in order to address key challenges;
Establish issues-specific citizens' advocacy groups to deal with important governance, social justice and environmental issues;
Participate in and comment on debates in both the traditional media and the online media;
Write letters to editors, talk show hosts, ward councillors, oversight agencies and government departments to draw their attention to important issues and to call for appropriate responses and action;
Ask international advocacy groups like Avaaz to petition for action on important issues;
Set up your own petition for action on the Avaaz web site;
Use the social networks to raise issues and share information;
Follow JAG on Twitter for regular information updates - our handle is @JoburgAdvocacy;
Approach reputable TV programmes like Carte Blanche, Special Assignment and 50/50 to investigate issues when your community doesn't have the resources to do so;
Approach newspapers, magazines, radio stations and web sites with a good investigative reputation to do the same;
Take legal action and/or lay charges for violations of the law if and as indicated;
Organise and bring class action and/or ConCourt actions if and as indicated;
Lobby in every way possible for formalised processes to support citizen oversight of government;
Lobby for independent Mayoral elections;
Lobby for operational departments and entities to be run by suitably-skilled professionals, who can be held to account in terms of pre-determined key result areas;
Engage with ward councillors and hold them to account in terms of their mandate;
Insist that ward councillors convene mandatory community feedback meetings on a quarterly basis;
Call on ward and proportional representation councillors to request that residents' motions dealing with specific issues be placed on the council's agenda;
Use the resources available on this site to lobby for meaningful change; and, on a very practical level
Lobby for a change to smart metering throughout the city which, we believe, is the only way to resolve the current billing crisis will be resolved.

On specific issues, residents may find the following information useful:

1. If you have a billing dispute or a service delivery complaint that you've been unable to get resolved through the usual channels, please contact your ward councillor for assistance.

2. If you've been affected by the Joburg billing crisis, further information for residents and businesses is available in the JAG Billing Crisis Information Leaflet.

3. If you've experienced a services cut-off for any reason, further information is available in the JAG Cut-Off Campaign Information Leaflet.

NOTE: On 15 December, the South Gauteng High Court ruled that the City of Johannesburg cannot cut services to anyone who has not received an accurate and up-to-date bill, has a current billing dispute or hasn't received two weeks' notice of the intended cut-off. If you find the city is in violation of this ruling, please advise Schindlers Attorneys on coj.complaints@schindlers.co.za. Schindlers is the firm that brought the legal action on which the ruling is based, and will take appropriate action if the city violates it.

4. Also please feel free to browse the JAG Document Archive, which can be accessed here.

5. Details of the relevant city departments and oversight agencies to contact should you have a complaint or a dispute are listed in the sidebar.

Finally, special thanks are due to our supporters and network partners for their help and encouragement during the past three years. We couldn't have done what we've managed to do without it.

Wishing you all a happy and safe festive season

Taking a Break

2011-10-15T18:44:00.005+02:00

Folks, we're taking a break from advocacy work for a while, and will re-assess JAG's viability at the end of the year. For one thing, running the group has become a more-than-full-time occupation and, as we're all volunteers with work and other commitments to meet, we just can't sustain our current level of activity.

Also, when we established the group nearly three years ago, we hoped to be able to use advocacy to address some of the very pressing governance, service delivery, social justice and environmental protection issues in the city - on behalf of all of its residents.

The state of play

A few years down the line we're the first to admit that our success has been patchy. This is because advocacy, as powerful as it can be, only really works in a system that's at least notionally functional which, increasingly, ours isn't.

And our lack of success hasn't been for lack of trying.

Some of our work

Since 2009, we’ve run or supported campaigns to address such issues as crime, poor service delivery, surface water pollution, acid mine drainage, financial mismanagement in the City of Joburg, the racialization of politics, the need for a more accountable form of direct democracy and, above all, the Joburg billing crisis.

More recently, we've made several submissions as part of the city’s Growth and Development Strategy public participation process (GDS2040), and we participated in the National Planning Commission’s first-ever online jam, which was constituted to canvass public input on national strategy.

We’ve also opposed the huge hikes in councillor remuneration being proposed by the SA Local Government Association (SALGA) and the proposed Municipal Property Rates Amendment Bill, as well as the recent indecipherable hikes in electricity tariffs approved by the National Energy Regulator (NERSA).

We’ve debated local and national government officials on radio and television, issued dozens of media releases and statements, and have taken part in town hall meetings in many parts of the city.

We also drafted and published a report on the 2011 Local Government Elections earlier this year, published a comprehensive billing crisis information booklet for residents and businesses and, amongst many other information initiatives, have been running a very active social networking campaign on Twitter and Facebook. And, of course, we've repeatedly lobbied for the people of the City of Joburg at all levels of government and with all of the relevant oversight agencies.

Where to from here?

We believe local government as a whole is pretty much in a state of crisis, and that the institutions we should be able to turn to for help in a situation like this, such as provincial government, national government and the law courts, are in much the same state of crisis - or are hide-bound by inefficiency, mismanagement, corruption and/or red tape.

The same could be said for some Chapter Nine institutions like the Public Protector's office which, other than making a few placating noises, has basically ignored JAG's pleas on the billing crisis, effectively leaving the city's administration unaccountable for the monumental failure in good governance that the crisis represents.

The National Consumer Commission (NCC), on the other hand, while doing everything possible to assist individual residents affected by the billing crisis, is simply being subjected to the obfuscation that the city’s administration subjects its residents to. The NCC may, in time, be able to fine the city for non-compliance in terms of the Consumer Protection Act, but that fine will have to be paid out of the public purse, and the politicians and municipal officials responsible for this mess - like the Travelgate MPs - will never be held to account.

In a situation such as this, advocacy becomes the very definition of insanity - doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for a different result.

What are the alternatives?

The only viable alternative to advocacy at this stage is broad-based peaceful direct action, but so far our efforts to encourage residents' associations and community groups to organise have largely fallen on deaf ears.

At this stage, we feel change is very unlikely to come from the within the system of government, and is only likely to come from concerted collective action. If the city's people won't organise, though, there's little more that groups like JAG can do. They either need to oppose the developments taking place in government in a meaningful way, or live with the consequences.

In short, they can no longer just make a cross on a ballot paper every five years and claim they're partaking in the establishment and protection of a non-racist, non-sexist, just, effective and accountable democracy. And they can no longer hope that someone else will sort out the problems arising in the city and around the country.

Democracy is as democracy does, and it's something that comes about through active citizen involvement - it's not a task that can be left to a few committed activists running themselves ragged trying to make a difference - without any real support or any hope of actually achieving anything.

Perhaps the growing civil society movement, which includes such organisations as the Black Sash, the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC), the Occupy SA movement, Direct Democracy SA, The September National Imbizo, the Homeless People's Movement, the National Taxpayers' Union (NTU), the Southern African Regional Poverty Network (SARPN), the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) and such locally-based organisations as the shack dweller's movement, Abahlali baseMjondolo in Durban, and the Northern Federation of Ratepayers (NORFED) in Joburg will eventually be able to hold government to account.

If they don't, and if ordinary citizens don't join together to take action against the systematic destruction of the South African democratic project, we will find ourselves in a very bad situation indeed in this country - and sooner than many would like to believe.

UPDATE, 2 DECEMBER 2011: Well, needless to say, the break we planned to take from advocacy work never materialised and we've been as hard at it as ever. JAG will, however, be closing for the festive season on Friday, 23 December.

Remuneration Increases for Municipal Councillors

2011-10-15T16:17:00.001+02:00

JAG is currently petitioning for a cap on remuneration packages for municipal councillors, especially in light of the Minister of Finance's concern that the public sector wage bill isn't sustainable.

Read our letter to the Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) here and e-mail the Deputy Minister at yunus.carrim@cogta.gov.za to express your support for this action.

UPDATE, 6 NOVEMBER 2011: Although there's been no official announcement, we believe the proposed remuneration increases for councillors have been put on hold. Thanks to all who supported our call for action on this issue.

NPC Jam

2011-09-28T13:25:00.011+02:00

We're currently participating in the National Planning Commission Jam, the first-ever government-hosted online jam. The key topic subject is the NPC's diagnostic report, which was released earlier this year, as well as South Africa's Vision 2030. Many other themes allow for discussions on such pressing issues as service delivery, the economy, education and training, crime, infrastructure and jobs.

Over one thousand South Africans have logged on since the jam was launched an hour ago and the discussion about our country's future is on! The conversation will continue until 12:00 on Saturday, so join in.

We're being represented by one of our founding members, so look out for the jammer ID Lee Cahill (Joburg Advocacy Group). We'll also be tweeting during the participation process using the hashtag #NPCJam. Catch up with us on Twitter or follow our live feed in the sidebar.

If you're already registered to participate in the jam, logon here to participate. If you're not already registered, click through to here to do so.

UPDATE, 10 OCTOBER 2011:
If you'd like to read through a transcript of our contribution to the NPC Jam, click through to the JAG Document Archive on Scribd.

City of Joburg Growth and Development Strategy (GDS2040)

2011-08-12T10:38:00.004+02:00

As you know, the City of Joburg has embarked on a nine-week public consultation process related to its Growth and Development Strategy. The theme of the first week is Liveable Cities. Eight other themes will be covered during the next few weeks.

If you would like to make a submission on this or any of the other themes, send your input by e-mail to: gds2040@gmail.com.

UPDATE:
Click through here to read JAG's submission on creating liveable cities.
Click through here to read JAG's submission on resource sustainability.
Click through here to read a Twitter transcript of JAG's submission on the environment.

Happy Women's Day

2011-08-09T11:27:00.003+02:00

Happy Women's Day everyone! A time to remember our past, celebrate our present and plan an even better future for women and girl children. The work is not yet done ...

City of Joburg Growth and Development Strategy (GDS2040)

2011-08-08T14:08:00.003+02:00

The City of Joburg kicks off its Growth and Development Strategy consultation process today. Every week for nine weeks, residents will be asked to submit ideas on how to develop the kind of city we can all enjoy living in and be proud of.

Each of the nine weeks will feature a theme, and this week's theme is Liveable Cities. Click through here to read more - and to send through your suggestions.

Regular updates are also being posted on Facebook (GDS 2040) and on Twitter (@GDS2040), so join the conversation!

JAG Report on the 2011 Local Government Election

2011-05-22T12:08:00.001+02:00

JAG has published a report on the 2011 Local Government Election, which includes a summary of national results and detailed information for the residents of Joburg. Click here to access the report.

We're Saying "No"

2011-05-17T12:06:00.004+02:00

JAG has announced that all of its members will be spoiling their votes in tomorrow's election in protest against the current local government system and the failure of most of the political parties to commit to any form of direct democracy.

Here's why we made the decision:

Firstly, as mentioned above, we're seeing no commitment to moving towards a more accountable, people-centred form of direct democracy amongst the political parties, and little capacity to implement it in Cope, the only party that agreed to sign a social contract with the voters (apart from all Independent Ratepayers' Association of SA-affiliated independents).

Secondly, we feel the local government system itself is deeply flawed and that, without meaningful system change, it doesn't matter who's at the helm. Voting for one party or another would simply be akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Thirdly, by law, spoilt papers have to be counted and become part of the voting record. They're an established means of registering protest in democracies around the world. A high number of spoilt votes in the upcoming LGE would effectively be a vote of no confidence in the current system of local government, and could be used as a platform to lobby for system change.

Then, many voters have threatened not to vote in the elections and, as part of our direct democracy campaign, we've been encouraging those who're thinking of abstaining to spoil their papers instead. So it isn't just a case of a few isolated people choosing the spoilt vote option - we suspect many voters will either abstain or will spoil their ballot papers.

Next, submitting a spoilt ballot is a valid and acceptable way of exercising one's democratic privilege, although it's obviously a matter of individual choice. It's by no means a meaningless gesture. In fact, if you feel that none of the political parties speak for you - and especially if you don't trust them - it's the only choice.

Then, both the ruling party and the official opposition are definitely concerned about the spoilt vote lobby, so this isn't just a case of snapping uselessly at their heels. JAG has come under a lot of pressure from both parties on this issue, and it's notable that party leaders are now actively using the media to urge voters to vote.

Finally, as we've already mentioned, our contention is that, without meaningful system change, it doesn't matter who's "in power" (we prefer the term "in office"). In the currrent system, all political power is mediated through political parties, and we feel elections are more about obtaining and maintaining political power than about public service.

One thing is for sure: voters have little or no say in how the system is run. The only power they have is to vote for candidates who've been selected by the various political parties (and whose members represent only about 5% of the voting population), and then to hand over the keys of government to those parties after the election.

Unless we can begin working towards a new system of direct democracy, nothing will change. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupt absolutely. Without direct citizen oversight of the democratic process, political parties will continue to abuse the power that should be rightfully vested in the hands of the people.

Sometimes exercising one's conscience is about making a symbolic gesture. Many great people far worthier than we have done it in the past. Gandhi's Salt March and Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat in the "white" section of a bus during the Civil Rights Campaign in the US are just two cases in point.

So, as best we know how to explain it, that's why we'll be spoiling our ballot papers tomorrow ...

Click here to read an essay entitled TO VOTE OT NOT TO VOTE? - a personal perspective on spoiling one's vote, written by one of JAG's founding members.

A Social Contract with the Electorate

2011-05-11T11:53:00.010+02:00

JAG sent out the following statement to all network partners, associates, residents' associations and local media yesterday. We feel this is an extremely important development in the move towards a more direct, accountable and people-centred democracy in South Africa:

The Joburg Advocacy Group (JAG) has been running a direct democracy campaign in the run-up to the local government elections on 18 May. As part of this campaign, we approached all of the major political parties and asked them if they would be prepared to have their candidates sign a social contract committing them to the principles of direct democracy and to being directly responsible to the electorate should they be voted into office.

Neither the ruling party nor the official opposition agreed - and nor did the IFP, UDM, AZAPO, ACDP or FF+ - but all COPE and IRASA-affiliated independent candidates have agreed to sign. This is the first time that a political party or political grouping has agreed to make this kind of commitment and we feel it’s a positive move. This might provide voters with the opportunity to begin working towards a new, more accountable and people-centred democracy in South Africa.

We invite you to advise your members/readers/listeners/viewers and any interested and affected parties of this development.

A copy of the contract all COPE candidates have agreed to sign, which is based on the one we developed in association with veteran democracy activist, Jim Powell, can be viewed here.

A Provisional Definition of Direct Democracy

2011-04-03T12:20:00.002+02:00

Several commentators have written to ask us whether we could give a definition of our understanding of direct democracy. With that in mind, we've drafted the following provisional definition of direct democrcay as we understand it:

Direct democracy is a way of organising public life that enables citizens to have a direct say over the way in which government is run, both through the electoral process and through other mechanisms that allow for direct participation at all times.

Direct democracy is not an ideology like communism, nationalism, socialism or fascism, and is not a form of government that is defined centrally by a small political elite and then imposed on the electorate from the top down. Rather, it is a flexible, constantly-evolving expression of the democratic principle that is developed by the people and for the people.

In a system of direct democracy, citizens work in partnership with elected representatives to ensure good governance, with a specific focus on effective and accountable local government. They have a direct say over who is nominated to represent them and in the approval of electoral candidates, whether these are independent or affiliated to a political party.

Candidates selected in this way cannot stand for election unless they sign a social contract with their constituency, guaranteeing that they will fairly represent the interests of the electorate, will deliver on clearly-defined performance criteria, will be accountable in terms of the law, and will be subject to recall for non-performance through the exercise of a pre-defined democratic process.

Further, in a direct democracy, citizens have the right to participate and be heard in political decision-making, and to collectively call for a referendum on any issue or law should this be deemed necessary by a defined proportion of the population. This applies at any level of government, but specifically at local level.

Direct democracy puts political power in the hands of the people in a very real way, and in a way that can be constantly measured and assessed by the people themselves.

A system of democracy which effectively puts political power in the hands of political parties with membership figures that represent only a small percentage of the voting population, is not direct democracy. In a system such as this, voters have little or no say over the selection and approval of candidates for election and, once they have voted, they have no direct say over the performance of their elected representatives or over the way in which they, the people, are represented. As importantly, they have little or no say over policy, strategy and tactics, or over the exercise of disciplinary procedures.

In a rapidly-changing and increasingly globalised social, economic and political environment, democracy itself must evolve to meet the changing needs of the world’s people. It cannot be the only socio-political system to remain rigid and unchanging.

And if democracy is genuinely the ideal - rather than power, money and influence - direct democracy can be the only way forward to a truly representative and egalitarian society.

Campaign for Direct Democracy

2011-03-21T15:04:00.018+02:00

Today is Human Rights Day in South Africa, the day on which we celebrate the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution, commemorate those who died and were injured at Sharpeville on this day in 1960 and, in the words of Nelson Mandela, say: "Never, never and never again ...".

So we feel it is an appropriate day on which to launch a campaign for direct democracy in the City of Johannesburg, because Sharpeville represents what can and does happen when ordinary people have no meaningful voice in public affairs, and when power over many is vested in the hands of a few.

History

For those who are unfamiliar with the historic background to this day, it was on 21 March 1960 that apartheid-era police fired into an unarmed crowd conducting a peaceful protest against the mandatory use of the dompas ('dumb pass') identity document, which only black people had to carry.

The shooting is believed to have been triggered by poorly-trained young police officers reacting in fear when they saw the crowd massing, and its context is contentious. Nevertheless, 69 people died on that day and approximately 300 were wounded, mostly shot from behind.

The event was a watershed in the country's history, as it lead to the declaration of a state of emergency and to the banning of the ANC and the PAC. This, in turn, lead to the decision to form Umkhonto we Sizwe (the ANC's military wing), to the armed struggle against apartheid and, ultimately, to the advent of representative democracy in 1994.

Seventeen years on, representative democracy has taken us only so far and, in too many cases to mention, has failed the people of South Africa dismally.

It therefore seems to be the right time to begin working towards a new kind of direct democracy, beginning at local level, which will ensure that every voice counts in our young democracy.

About Direct Democracy

Direct democracy is not an ideology or a political system, like nationalism or communism, and it cannot be imposed by centrally-controlled structures.

It is simply a non-partisan way of organising public life in such a way that all citizens have a direct and meaningful say over the laws, institutions and systems that impact on their day-to-day lives, and on the way in which their country is governed.

Direct democracy is therefore not something that can be created by political parties, ideologues or, indeed, by advocacy groups like ours. It is something that can only be created by the country's people - individuals or groups of individuals acting together to make this ideal a reality.

JAG's Campaign for Direct Democracy

What JAG has to offer to an undertaking of this kind is not a new political system, a new ideology, a new political party or a new set of leaders, but simply the kind of information the city's voters need in order to decide on how best to exercise their hard-won democratic privilege, as well as an open platform that they can use to express their views. We don't claim to speak for the city's people because they can speak for themselves, and we have never claimed to represent them, because they can do that for themselves too.

Our mission has always been simply to advocate for good governance in the Joburg metro on behalf of all of the city's residents, and to provide them with the kind of information that empowers them to take meaningful and effective action on their own behalf.

It has, however, become increasingly clear to us that, in a system which has become fundamentally dysfunctional, even the most hard-nosed advocacy has little impact. And we are more convinced than ever that the only solution to the current state of affairs is a completely new system of governance, as we feel certain that change cannot - and will not - come from within.

Even if the ruling ANC were to be voted out of power and the city were to be ruled by the opposition DA, the system's fundamental structural failures would remain unaddressed, and this would simply, we believe, be a case of re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Without real and meaningful change, we feel certain that the city's system of local government will slowly but surely fall into a greater and more acute state of collapse and, as importantly, that voters will continue to have little or no say over how their city is governed.

So today we begin a campaign aimed at communicating some of the little-known facts about our current system of local government, and at engaging voters in a debate about possible alternatives.

To begin with, from now until election day, we will be posting a daily fact about our current system of democracy or about direct democracy on our Facebook page and on Twittter (@JoburgAdvocacy), and will be posing pertinent questions about these facts. We invite all residents in the city and, indeed, from other municipal areas, to engage in this debate.

For those who do not have Facebook or Twitter accounts, there is a direct Twitter feed in the sidebar on this site, which will enable you to follow the conversation. You can also click through to our Facebook page using the link in the sidebar. This will enable you to follow the debate on Facebook, even if you don't have a Facebook account. If you wish to post comments, you will need to sign up for a free Facebook account in order to do so, a process which takes only a few minutes.

During the next week, we will also be publishing two easy-to-read documents about our present local government system and about an alternative system of direct democracy: Direct Democracy: Frequently-Asked Questions and the 2011 Local Government Elections Information Leaflet. We hope these will give voters the kind of information that they're unlikely to see in the media or to be given by political parties.

Why Direct Democracy?

What, readers may ask, has brought JAG to the point at which it is advocating for a new form of direct democracy?

The short answer is our direct experience, both as individual residents and as members of this group, of the widespread failure of good governance in our system of government, particularly at local level.

Of as much concern is the failure of various oversight bodies, including institutions such as the Public Protector and bodies like chambers of commerce and law societies, to respond in any meaningful way to this crisis of governance.

A Unique Window of Opportunity

This is why we believe a new system of direct democracy is the only way forward, and why we feel that voters have a unique window of opportunity to call for change during the upcoming local government elections.

Amongst other things, it is this window of opportunity that we will be exploring in depth in the upcoming weeks, and we look forward to engaging in that discussion with the people of Joburg.

For a sensitive and insightful analysis of the Sharpeville shootings, please refer to "An ordinary atrocity: Sharpeville and its massacre" by Philip Frankel (Wits University Press, 2001)

Note: Just to advise that there seems to be a problem with Blogger at the moment, as several people have mailed to let us know that they've commented on this post, but that their comments have subsequently just disappeared!

We've checked our privacy settings, and comments are allowed from anyone without moderation, so the problem isn't on our side. This is unfortunately a known issue with Blogger and we've written to the technical team there to try and get this problem addressed.

In the meantime, if you're experiencing problems posting a comment, please send your comment through by e-mail to jag-sa@telkomsa.net and we'll publish it from our side. Alternatively, please participate in the discussion on our Facebook page. We value feedback from all individuals and groups, and encourage everyone to participate in the debate about direct democracy.

Notification for Independent Candidates

2011-03-12T10:07:00.001+02:00

NOTE: Independent candidates have until 25 March to give notice of their intention to stand in the upcoming municipal elections.

Candidates will need the signatures of 50 registered voters in their ward to support their candidacy, and will need to pay a deposit of R4,000 to stand in the City of Johannesburg (less in smaller municipalities).

Click here for further information.

Billing Crisis Reportback

2011-03-11T11:31:00.006+02:00

We're pleased to advise that there has been significant progress on the Joburg billing crisis during the past week.

The report into the crisis that we called for on 19 January has been completed by the Gauteng MEC for Local Government and Housing, both the Mayor and the Acting Minister of Cooperative Development and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) have apologised for the crisis, problem areas have been identified and strategies put in place to deal with them, and we had two reports yesterday of residents "unexpectedly" getting their incorrect bills sorted. We hope these will be just the first of many.

We were also contacted by the new National Consumer Commission yesterday, which called to offer assistance on protracted individual cases. We're very grateful that the commission has taken this initiative prior to even opening its doors, and we will begin sending selected cases through for its attention on Monday.

Further news came this morning when it was reported on TimesLive that City Manager, Mavela Dlamini has replaced billing and revenue executive director, Vicky Shuping. Our thanks to Mr Dlamini for this and other actions he has taken over the past week since participating in a debate with JAG on Summit TV on 3 March.

We're still receiving a high level of complaints about the Joburg Connect helpline, though, and about the new statements@joburg.org.za e-mails address, so we have advised the City Manager of these issues. We hope they'll be addressed shortly.

It took a furore to get here, but we're pleased that we're starting to see results.

JAG's mission is to work for solutions on defined issues and not to engage in a perpetual cycle of conflict, so we're pleased to announce these developments, and hope this will be the beginning of the end of the billing crisis.

Note: for further information, please refer to our Updated Billing Crisis Information Leaflet for Residents and Businesses - there's a link to it in the sidebar.

A Small Breakthrough

2011-02-24T08:39:00.001+02:00

We're pleased to hear via the media that the report on the Joburg billing crisis requested by the Minister of Cooperative Governance has been completed, and is due to be handed over to both the department and the Public Protector. We applaud Minister Shiceko for ensuring that this report was, indeed, speedily produced, and hope that appropriate measures will now be taken to resolve the crisis.

It has, however, been extremely difficult for JAG to manage its campaign and to respond in an informed way to resident complaints and media queries, as we have received no formal feedback from any level of government about the billing crisis. Everything we know about the measures being taken to address the serious problems within the municipal billing system has had to be gleaned from the media.

We would therefore like to suggest that the city appoints an experienced communications company with crisis management experience to issue daily updates to both the media and to interested and affected parties should a situation like this arise in the future.

We would also like to suggest that the city conducts a weekly media briefing, followed by a Q&A session. This would help to keep residents and community groups informed about important issues, developing problems and the measures being taken to address these issues - and to mitigate against the kind of confusion that has arisen during the billing crisis campaign.

Also, as many residents are still in a desperate situation, and as there are still very concerning reports coming in from both individuals and businesses about how their complaints are being dealt with, we will continue to publicise specific complaints in order to illustrate the nature and extent of the situation. And we will, needless to say, be keeping a very watchful eye on developments.

We will also shortly be publishing an updated and more comprehensive version of the information leaflet for residents that we published in November, and we will make that available here as well as on our Facebook page. The new leaflet will provide information not only about avenues for redress within the government system and through such agencies as the Public Protector, but will also provide information on the legal steps residents can take should they need to. The leaflet will replace the current information leaflet and previous resident advisories.

NOTE: Regular updates are being posted on our Facebook page (Joburg Advocacy Group) and @JoburgAdvocacy on Twitter (billing crisis tweets are tagged #jbills).

Misplaced Optimism

2011-02-13T13:03:00.001+02:00

Well, fellow Joburg residents, it seems our optimism about local, provincial and national government working together to solve the Joburg billing crisis was misplaced.

After we started our billing crisis campaign on 14 January, there was silence for about a week. This despite the fact that we'd called on the provincial MEC for Local Government to institute an official investigation into the billing crisis in terms of the Municipal Systems Act, which he never even bothered to acknowledge.

Then the Minister of Cooperative Development confirmed there was a serious problem with Joburg's billing, but the Mayor and senior city officials soon came out and denied that this was a crisis (approximately 90,000 affected residents would disagree).

The following week, the Minister committed to an investigation into the crisis and the new billing system that has cost taxpayers approximately R80 million.Then the ANC called a summit of all the mayors in Gauteng to discuss widespread billing problems throughout the province and the Chair of the Finance Committee for the city said on a radio show on MixFM 93.8 community radio that anyone with unresolved complaints could mail him and he would get them resolved (he only problem with this is that his mailbox is always full) .

We've heard nothing since.

We see mouths moving, but we don't see ANY action - either to assist desperate residents or to resolve the deeper issues at play here.

So it's up to civil society organisations and residents themselves to continue to take PEACEFUL DIRECT ACTION in order to get this and other pressing issues resolved.

Please have a look at our latest advisory for residents for further information.

Also, please be advised that there is a billing protest planned for 18 February at 08:30. This will take place outside Thuso House, on the corner of Simmonds and Stiemens Streets in Braamfontein (opposite the Joburg Theatre, previously the Civic Theatre). Note: this is the billing queries entrance and not the main entrance in Jorissen Street. Limited parking is available at the theatre or nearby at Constitution Hill. Marshalls will be on duty and a memorandum will be handed over to the city by "irate" city councillor, David Dewes.

While we understand that most residents are working people, we urge you to ask your employer for the morning off so that you can support this important democratic process.

It's easy to complain, but unless we all take continuous, meaningful direct action, nothing is going to change.

And don't forget to keep up the pressure on Joburg Connect, senior city officials, the Public Protector and the National Energy Regulator (NERSA). Further details are available on our latest advisory note and also on the information leaflet we published on 14 November.

Some Good News on the Billing Crisis

2011-02-02T09:19:00.001+02:00

We're pleased to see that the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, whose department is tasked with monitoring the implementation of such legislation as the Municipal Systems Act and the Local Government Municipal Finance Management Act, is moving decisively to address the Joburg billing crisis.

Photograph courtesy of The Times

First came the news early yesterday afternoon of Minister Shiceka's intention to launch an official investigation into the billing crisis in the city, and then of the fact that he had called a summit with the mayors from all 14 municipalities to address more widespread billing irregularities in Gauteng.

JAG has expressed cautious optimism about the Minister's intervention, but continues to advocate for short- and medium-term relief for residents while the proposed investigation gets underway.

We've proposed a three-tiered approach to address the billing issue in the short-, medium- and long-term:

The first step was to call for an official investigation into the Joburg billing crisis in terms of the Municipal Systems Act because that's the only way to get to the root of the problem and to ensure that something like this doesn't - and can't - happen again.

But investigations take time and, in the short-term, we've called for a moratorium on power cuts until the billing system can be proved to be stable and functioning correctly. We'd also like to see power restored to residents whose accounts are currently in dispute until these disputes can be resolved.

In the medium-term, we'd like to see a "closed" complaints system being introduced off existing Joburg Connect capacity. A closed complaints system allows for logged tickets (resident complaints) to be closed off only if the original complainant agrees that the problem has been appropriately addressed. This, we believe, would prevent complaints from falling into a huge black hole of inaction, incompetence and corruption.

We've also suggested that it become mandatory for all city employees to wear name tags that reflect their employee numbers. This will enable residents to log complaints about inefficiency, poor service and corruption - all of which is widespread - more efficiently and effectively.

So again, we're cautiously optimistic about yesterday's developments, but continue to keep a vigilant eye on the billing situation in the city.

Tweet if You Want Accountable Government

2011-01-23T12:37:00.005+02:00

Social networks are becoming an increasingly powerful tool for dealing with poor governance and unaccountable government, as this Zapiro cartoon, published last week, shows:

USE THE POWER OF SOCIAL NETWORKING TO DEAL WITH THE JOBURG BILLING CRISIS.

FOLLOW OUR TWITTER CAMPAIGN AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION - TWEETS ARE TAGGED #jbills.

Update on the Joburg Municipal Billing Crisis

2011-01-21T13:05:00.007+02:00

The residents of Johannesburg have had enough! The municipal billing crisis continues to escalate and the city is doing nothing about it. Even complaints to the Public Protector aren't being acknowledged.

Well, local government may be in a state of collapse, but South Africa is still subject to the rule of law (or, at least, we hope so!). So we've written to the Gauteng Provincial MEC for Local Government and Housing, asking him to initiate an official investigation into the crisis in terms of the Municipal Systems Act and the Constitution.

The DA has used this letter and the information leaflet we issued in November to motivate for a special session of Council to debate the billing crisis as a matter of urgency. The party's Finance Committee has been trying to get this issue onto the agenda for several months, but all requests have been denied by the Speaker, who feels the matter isn't urgent! We're waiting to hear what the response to this request will be.

In the meantime, our special thanks to Jenny Crwys-Williams, one of the country's top consumer journalists, for mentioning our call for an investigation on her Radio 702 talk show yesterday. Jenny has been covering the billing crisis in depth, and we're very grateful for her support.

Today, reports are coming in that over 100 angry residents are protesting outside the Council's offices demanding that billing errors be rectified. Watch the press for details or follow our Joburg Billing Crisis Campaign on Twitter - posts are tagged #jbills.

Lead image courtesy of The Hurst Review.

Joburg Municipal Billing Crisis Campaign

2010-11-14T09:52:00.008+02:00

JAG is receiving more and more calls and e-mails about the current billing crisis in the City of Johannesburg.

Consumers report being unable to resolve a range of problems, including huge "interim" bills for electricity, charges based on incorrect meter readings, inflated accounts for water and other services, missing payments, incorrectly-levied interest, threats of credit action, and having to sign acknowledgements of debt in order to obtain clearance certificates after the sale of a property.

All report being unable to resolve these problems through the usual official channels and, although this issue has received extensive coverage in the press, they remain without any effective means of dealing with it.

In order to assist residents in this situation, JAG has developed a comprehensive information leaflet, and we urge consumers to take direct action by logging complaints with all relevant authorities to ensure that they take immediate and effective action on this issue.

Pollution in the Jukseki River and Bruma Lake

2010-11-05T08:13:00.000+02:00

JAG continues to do everything possible to address the issue of the severe pollution in the Jukskei River and Bruma Lake.

Most recently, we have logged a complaint with Mobilitate, and ask all supporters please to register with Mobilitate and to support this action. The more people that support it, the greater chance it has of becoming a "burning issue" and of ultimately being addressed.

Red Ribbon 2010 Kicks Off in Kensington

2010-11-03T20:04:00.003+02:00

It's that time of year again! The people of Kensington will be tying red ribbons around their trees as a sign of their commitment to building happy, safe and peaceful communities from the ground up. They invite all other communities in South Africa (and beyond) to join them in this celebration of the true meaning of the festive season - and to do one thing in their communities that will make a positive difference over the holidays.

See the Red Ribbon Campaign web site for more info.

National Environmental Impact Assessment Management Strategy

2010-10-22T13:33:00.019+02:00

The Department of Environmental Affairs is calling for the public to contribute to the development of a National Environmental Impact Assessment Management Strategy.

Please participate in the public discussion forums on the web site - it's vital that the department gets grassroots input in order to develop an effective and well-managed environmental impact system in South Africa.

P.S. To register use the Log In button on the Home page. There's a link for new registrations on the Log In page.

Image: Kosi Bay, iSimangaliso Wetlank Park, KwaZulu Natal

Groot Marico Threatened by Open-Cast Mining

2010-08-03T09:49:00.010+02:00

The community of the Groot Marico needs our help.

Their historic bushveld area is in danger of being destroyed by open-cast mining that will compromise not only the environment, but the Groot Marico's rare and irreplaceable heritage. Mining will also irreversibly pollute the Marico River and, as JAG is particularly concerned about the management of water resources in both Johannesburg and around the country, we appeal to supporters to click through to the Groot Marico Petition and to add their names.

The UN regards access to clean water as a basic human right. Let's make sure our government respects this right, and the right of communities to retain their environmental and cultural integrity.

Hard at Work

2010-06-19T16:39:00.010+02:00

The Joburg Advocacy Group has been hard at work over the past two months. In May and the first half of June, we were privileged to be involved in the planning of the Proud to Host campaign, a community-driven campaign established to clean up and rehabilitate the suburbs around Ellis Park Stadium in the run-up to and during the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Together with volunteers from the I Love Kensington Association (ILKA), volunteers from JAG also set up the Kensington Community Work Programme (KCWP) in Johannesburg's historic suburb of Kensington. The programme aims to rehabilitate public spaces, provide much-needed work opportunities for unemployed people in the area, and foster a spirit of community and cooperation between people of different ages, races, classes, language groups, cultures and religions.

The KCWP has constituted and is currently running four community work projects as part of the Proud to Host campaign, the Rhodes Park Project, the Community Hall Project, the Public Artworks Project, and the Scottish Horse War Memorial Project, and workers from the programme also participated in National Clean-Up Day on 5 June. KCWP draws funding from government's Community Work Programme (CWP), and is supported by Seriti, the NGO tasked with providing technical support for the CWP.

JAG was also actively involved in assisting the Kensington community in the task of dealing with the legal, governance and environmental health issues arising from an illegal fan park in their suburb, and are pleased to say the community managed to get it shut down. We're now involved in helping to plan a People's World Cup event to coincide with the monthly Kensington Arts, Crafts and Farmers Market, which is aimed at reclaiming the soccer fields where the fan park was set up for the use and enjoyment of the community.

JAG also supported the call from Lawyers for Human Rights for the development of a National Strategy for Sustainable Development, which focuses specifically on the very pressing environmental threat posed by acid mine drainage in the Witwatersrand Mining Basin.

All of which means we don't do a lot of blogging, facebooking or tweeting but, rest assured, we're out there ...

Protests Not Just About Service Delivery

2010-04-25T12:31:00.003+02:00

"There were more protests around the country in the first three months of this year than in any equivalent period since 1994," says Yunus Carrim, deputy minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs.

And the protests have been about much more than just service delivery:

"The protests are also about a range of other municipal issues, including maladministration, nepotism, fraud, corruption and the failure of councillors and administrators to listen," he said.

"But it is the rage of sections of the protesters and the extent of violence and destruction they wreak that is striking. It reflects a far more fundamental alienation of people from our democracy."

In short, democracy in South Africa is failing us and if we, the people, don't get involved to ensure that it remains a living, breathing, fair, just and relevant system, it will continue to fail. Get involved - and do whatever you can do to make a difference where you stand.

Our future depends on what we do today.

See TimesOnline for more.

Commentary Invited: What is the Future of the ANC?

2010-04-20T14:41:00.007+02:00

Veteran activist, Zackie Achmat, is asking South Africans what their views are on the future of the ANC. Can it be transformed from within to be a truly democratic and representative organisation, or has that horse already bolted?

Have your say at Writing Rights, the Centre for Law and Social Justice.

Public Objections to Proposed Rates and Tariffs Increases

2010-04-07T10:05:00.008+02:00

This is just to advise all City of Joburg residents that if they'd like to object to the proposed new 2010/11 rates and tariffs increases - either individually or collectively - they can do so for the next 30 days.

Details of the proposed new tariff structure are available on the city's web site, and any objections must be made in writing.

These should be addressed to the Mpho Mapheto in the City Manager's office at either mphomap@joburg.co.za, tariffcomments@joburg.co.za or P.O. Box 1409, Johannesburg, 2000. Residents who are unable to write can make verbal submissions at a number of different city offices (contact us for further details if you need them).

Help for Haiti

2010-01-17T13:36:00.007+02:00

Dear Friends,

Please consider making a donation to the relief efforts in Haiti. The Caribbean nation is in desperate need of humanitarian aid after Tuesday's devastating earthquake.

South African rescue and medical teams are already on their way. You can support them with a donation through the local charity Gift of the Givers, through the local branch of Doctors Without Borders, or through the international Avaaz.org disaster fund. These organisations are absolutely guaranteed to get the funds through to those who need them quickly and in full.

Let's be a community that helps other communities in need.

Season's Greetings

2009-12-24T13:59:00.004+02:00

Wishing all of our supporters and associates a safe and peaceful festive season, and all of the good things that life has to offer in 2010.

Add Your Voice

2009-12-17T11:40:00.003+02:00

Please consider signing the Avaaz.org petition for a real and meaningful deal on carbon emissions at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.

Thirteen million people from around the world have already signed, making this the biggest petition in history.

Now young people of all nationalities are reading out the names of EACH ...AND EVERY SUPPORTER at the summit venue as the crucial talks threaten to deadlock. This is a very important time in history, and climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced - please add your voice.

Statement from Civil Society Organisations on Acid Mine Drainage

2009-12-12T12:05:00.011+02:00

The Federation for a Sustainable Environment, supported by 36 civil society organisations including JAG, has issued a statement calling on the South African government to engage with civil society on the urgent issue of acid mine drainage in the Witwatersrand Mining Basin.

The statement calls for disclosure of all documentation regarding the issue, much of which has not been released into the public domain, and also for urgent action dedicated to finding a sustainable and just solution to the problem.

We strongly support this statement, which you can read in full here.

Image: "Acid Mine Drainage on the West Rand Gold Fields" courtesy of Earthlife Africa.

Click through to Earthlife's web site to read its Acid Mine Drainage Fact Sheet 1 and Acid Mine Drainage Fact Sheet 2.

Now a Water Supply Crisis Looms

2009-12-10T11:50:00.004+02:00

If you think acid mine drainage (AMD) and sewage in the rivers will never affect you directly, think again.

In a statement issued on 6 December, the South African Revenue Protection Association reports that South Africa's bulk water infrastructure is in danger of collapse.

Four hundred "infrastructure assets" that supply raw bulk water are decades old and are leading to contamination of water sources. And that's without the possibility of processed AMD being pumped into the drinking water system or the risk of major reservoirs being contaminated by sewage and heavy metals in the polluted river system.

Worse still, economic pressures have forced the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs to scale down its capital spending on water schemes and infrastructure refurbishment radically. In the next three years, it will receive only R4.8bn of the R6bn it requires from Treasury for infrastructure refurbishment, although it has been assured of R6.1bn to expand regional bulk infrastructure.

A local government water and sanitation audit report released earlier this year also showed showed that 85% of South Africa's waste water treatment works had a "limited remaining useful life", while 90% of water treatment works were dilapidated.

In the meantime, water quality in KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga, North West and the Northern Cape is now below acceptable health levels (source: SARPA Journal, 6 December 2009).

Be Kind

2009-12-07T13:05:00.008+02:00

There is so much division, aggression and pain in our city. Be kind to someone today, and ask them to pass it on ...

"BE KIND ... for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."

~ Philo of Alexandria

Fiddling While Joburg Burns

2009-12-03T09:20:00.015+02:00

We've all heard the story of how the despot emperor Nero "fiddled while Rome burned". Recent reports on the crisis of governance in the City of Johannesburg cannot help but bring this story to mind.

This past weekend alone, Mail and Guardian reported that the city has an operational deficit of R520 million, that it has had to divert R1 billion from the city's already over-stretched budget into the completion of the Soccer City stadium because of ballooning costs, and that it has failed to collect an estimated R10 billion in unpaid municipal accounts (read the whole story here).

DA councillor and finance committee member Don Forbes is quoted as saying that the city is "commercially insolvent", as its liabilities exceed its assets.

Worse still ...

Yesterday, The Times reported that, despite this parlous situation, and despite the fact that the city has written off R2.8 billion in debt this year (10% of its 2009/2010 budget), Mayor Amos Masondo has just "led a 16-member delegation on a costly four-day trip to four countries (India, Vietnam, China and Russia, if you can believe it) ... as part of a 'study tour' aimed at bolstering 'service delivery' ". This is reportedly one of many such trips taken by members of the mayoral committee in the past six months (read the whole story here).

We would like to suggest that the mayor GETS REAL and leads a delegation around his own distressed and decaying city. Instead of listening to "experts" in far-flung countries, we suggest that he takes the trouble to listen to the people he is elected and paid to serve. No-one knows the issues better than they do or has a better idea of what is needed to fix the many problems that affect their everyday lives.

We would also like to suggest that President Jacob Zuma GETS REAL and intervenes directly in this situation. Joburg is the country's economic hub and the face South Africa presents to the international investment community. More importantly, millions of people live within the boundaries of the metro, and it simply cannot be allowed to slide into chaos.

Unfortunately, several letters that Joburg Advocacy Group has sent to Mayor Amos Masondo begging him to take action on governance in the city have simply been ignored. A letter sent to the President asking for the same was acknowledged, but then forwarded to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs where, needless to say, it has disappeared into a black hole.

We need the people of the city to take action and to start making their voices heard on this issue. It's only together that we can turn this situation around - and every voice counts.

Please e-mail President Zuma on President@po.gov.za, and ask him to intervene in the crisis of governance in the City of Johannesburg as a matter of urgency. Cut and paste the following text if you'd like to use it:

Dear President Zuma,

JOBURG NEEDS YOU, MR PRESIDENT

As a resident of the City of Johannesburg, I am deeply concerned about the crisis of governance in the city. Daily reports in the newspapers show that it is widespread, and neither the Mayor nor the Premier of Gauteng are responding to calls by the community to address the situation.

I support the campaign being run by the Joburg Advocacy Group (http://jag-sa.blogspot.com/) to call for your urgent assistance.

Johannesburg is the country's economic hub and the face it presents to the international investment community. More importantly, millions of people live within the boundaries of the metro, and it simply cannot be allowed to slide into chaos.

We need your direct intervention, Mr President. Please step up to the plate!

Thank you and kind regards,
[Insert your name]

Do it, folks - DO IT NOW! And join our Facebook Group to become part of the discussion about good governance in the City of Johannesburg.

A River of Filth

2009-12-01T10:11:00.008+02:00

The Jukskei/Braamfontein Spruit river system, which originates in the city and runs through both the eastern suburbs and Bruma Lake, should ideally be a safe and healthy body of water that could, amongst other things, be used for neighbourly recreation.

The truth is that the system, which flows on from Bruma Lake through Alexander and on to Hartebeespoort Dam, is a river of filth that is safe for no-one. Worse still, it is one of the main sources of irrigation for 12 000 hectares of agricultural land in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, and joins up with other river systems that cross over into Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana.

The Jukskei is highly polluted with both litter and a wide variety of contaminants, and the results of any routine testing that may be taking place (although this is unlikely to be happening) are not being made public. One of the most significant contaminants is raw sewage, which originates mainly from neglected and abandoned buildings in the city centre.

The Jukskei River Catchment Area Management Forum, which works in the Bruma Lake area, recently tested the E.coli level in the lake itself, and found this to be 2,4 million colony forming units (CFUs)/100ml. In the USA, the standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the recreational use of water resources is 125 CFU/100ml, and no sample should exceed 235 CFU/100ml (source: State of Indiana). Water in which levels are higher than these pose a very real threat to the community, especially in terms of water-borne diseases like cholera.

What is to be done?

Simply put, the community needs to get involved, and needs to work with the relevant government agencies to address this deeply concerning situation.

For our part, we've been privileged to be asked to participate in the WET-Africa (Waterway and Environment Transformation) initiative, a multi-party community-based programme that aims "to restore the critical and endangered rivers of Africa to health from source to sea".

WET-Africa has recently applied for an international grant to fund a major remediation, rehabilitation and community development project along the Jukskei River and, if funding comes through, we'll play a small part in making that happen. Local government, the Green Scorpions, residents' associations, community groups, taxpayers' unions, and interested and affected parties will all be invited to participate in the process, and to share in the knowledge resources that will be generated by the project.

We'll have a response to the funding proposal in early February, and we'll keep you informed of progress right here.

Image courtesy of WET-Africa: Solid waste in the Jukskei after a storm, 15 March 2009

AMD - A Business Issue?

2009-11-23T11:00:00.005+02:00

We're deeply concerned that the problem of acid mine drainage (AMD), which has been called "the greatest environmental disaster that South Africa has ever faced" is still being treated as a business issue rather than a rights issue, and that a feature on the problem was published in yesterday's Business Times rather than in the main body of the newspaper (see online at http://www.timeslive.co.za/business/article202997.ece).

We've written to the editor of the Sunday Times about this (you can see our letter here), and are working hard to give the people affected by this issue a voice.

Our work is currently focused on (a) trying to set legal precedent in the Constitutional Court that will make it statutory for local, provincial and national government to advise and consult with residents about major environmental threats, and (b) trying to obtain funding for an independent advisory commission to monitor the AMD problem on behalf of the people of the City of Johannesburg and surrounding areas.

Needless to say, this is slow, laborious work, but we're on the case ...

Red Ribbon Campaign Goes National

2009-11-13T09:18:00.015+02:00

The Joburg Advocacy Group is proud to be assisting the Kensington community in Johannesburg with the national launch of the Red Ribbon Campaign, which was started in their neighbourhood.

The campaign is a community-based initiative aimed at building safe, happy and peaceful communities from the ground up.

As a visible sign of commitment to this goal, we're asking everyone across the country to tie a red ribbon around a tree or lamppost this festive season, and to commit to doing whatever they can in their own neighbourhoods to build the kind of communities we'd all like to live in.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Keep an eye out for your neighbours; get involved in your local residents' association; help out at a feeding scheme once a week; support your local community security forum; form a block watch; join the neighbourhood clean-up campaign; have tea with the seniors in your local retirement village; start a community veggie garden; call out the Green Scorpions to deal with environmental problems; start a local wildlife watch scheme; report slum landlords; give AIDS orphans a chance to have a normal life; do some shopping for a shut-in; start a youth activity group; report any child, animal or domestic abuse; collect books for your local schools and libraries; start a domestic worker support group; start a skills swap scheme - the list is endless ...

Read more about the campaign, and see the launch media release here.

Freddie Papi and his sons, Israel and Gabriel (Gebi) of Johannesburg's historic Kensington suburb support the Red Ribbon Campaign started in their neighbourhood.

Fireworks and Your Rights

2009-11-06T15:35:00.015+02:00

Do fireworks seem to get louder and more scary every year? Does the period between that awful old colonial holiday of Guy Fawkes and New Year have you, your children and your terrified pets running for cover? Are you angry that, unlike smoking in public places, the intrusion of fireworks seems to be so poorly regulated?

The truth is that there are a swathe of by-laws in place that regulate the use of fireworks, and if you know your rights, you can exercise them.

Luckily, the city itself has posted comprehensive details of when, where and under what circumstances fireworks can be used on its web site, and you can check out this information here.

According to the by-laws, fireworks may only be used under clearly-defined circumstances on the following days and at the following times:

New Year's Eve from 11pm to 1am
New Year's Day from 7pm to 10pm
Lag b'omer from 7pm to 10pm
Chinese New Year from 7pm to 10pm
Human Rights Day from 7pm to 10pm
Freedom Day from 7pm to 10pm
Diwali from 7pm to 10pm
Guy Fawkes Day from 7pm to 10pm
Christmas Eve from 7pm to 10pm
Day of Goodwill from 7pm to 10pm

Also, any person, group or organisation that wishes to hold a fireworks display has to apply for a permit, and this application has to be made available for public commentary and objections. You can check out who's applied for permits by contacting the Chief Fire Officer in your area.

In case of emergencies related to fireworks, call Joburg Emergency Connect on 011 375 5911 or the nationwide emergency response line on 10111.

A FULL COPY OF THE JOBURG METRO EMERGENCY SERVICES BY-LAWS CAN BE FOUND HERE (PDF 1MB).

Please Speak to Us, Mr Mayor

2009-11-03T17:28:00.016+02:00

Last week, Joburg Advocacy Group wrote to Mayor Amos Masondo requesting a face-to-face meeting to discuss possible community-based initiatives to address the growing storm over crime and service delivery in the city. We received neither an acknowledgement or a response, and feel this is indicative of the uncaring and unaccountable approach of local government to the people living and working in the country's economic hub.

Read our letter to the Mayor here.

Then write to him at MiddletonB@joburg.org.za and urge him to heed our call. By the way, this e-mail address is for his personal assistant, and was supplied by the Kensington Residents' Association. We can't get a direct e-mail address for the Mayor for love or money ...

Update (21 November, 10:30): Not even a word of acknowledgement from the Mayor's office ...

All You Need to Know About Service Delivery and Your Rights

2009-11-01T17:55:00.009+02:00

Poor - or non-existent - service delivery is one of the most pressing problems facing residents in the City of Johannesburg. Some have taken to the streets in protest against this state of affairs, some continue with the thankless task of trying to have their problems resolved through official channels, and some have simply lost faith in the system. Whatever the situation, service delivery is a frequent - and heated - topic of conversation around dinner tables, on the streets, in informal settlements, and over garden walls.

Most residents, from Diepsloot and Midrand in the north to Lenasia and Orange Farm in the south, and from Roodepoort in the west to Alexandra and Kensington in the east, are deeply frustrated, and feel disempowered by an inefficient, uncaring and unaccountable local administration.

What, they plead, is to be done?

Well, here's the official process for logging service delivery complaints, and some of the options open to you if that doesn't work:

1. Log your compliant with Joburg Connect on 011 375 5555 and obtain a reference number (don't laugh - this is the correct first step, and we feel it's important to respect that).

2. If your complaint hasn't been dealt with within 24-48 hours, follow and up and find out what the status is. Keep a record of all complaints and follow-up calls, including dates, times and reference numbers.

3. If that doesn't get you anywhere, refer the problem to your local residents' association (see a full list here).

4. If the association's valiant efforts to help you don't get any results, contact your local ward councillor (click here to find out which ward you fall under and who your councillor is).

5. If that doesn't work (and it's been known to happen ...), report the problem to the new toll-free Presidential Hotline on 17737 (if you're angry enough or the situation is urgent enough, skip steps 3 & 4 and call the hotline straight away).

6. If all else fails, you have two other options: (a) take up the matter with the Minister of Cooperative Development and Traditional Affairs, who is tasked with handling service delivery problems at local level, or (b) withhold the payment of rates for poor service delivery.

About that ...

Firstly, the office of Sicelo Shiceka, the Minister of Cooperative Development and Traditional Affairs, can be reached on 012 326 4478. Letters can also be addressed to the Minister at Private Bag X802, Pretoria, 0001 (unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we haven't been able to obtain an e-mail address).

The Joburg Advocacy Group wrote to President Zuma about the state of service delivery in Johannesburg earlier this year, and that letter has been referred on to the Minister for his attention (click here to read the letter, but please note that the Joburg Rates Boycott campaign mentioned in the text has since been suspended).

Secondly, ratepayers have the legal option of withholding the payment of rates in the case of poor service delivery. This is currently being done in 22 municipalities across the country, mostly by residents' associations affiliated to the National Taxpayers' Union (see the list of towns currently in dispute with municipalities here). The NTU, which represents rates action groups in over 300 municipalities, has a wealth of experience in handling campaigns to withhold rates, and offers all sorts of support for participants.

So, how does a rates campaign work?

The option of withholding rates is one that is available to all ratepayers in the case of the non-delivery of services. The legal principle that allows for this is CONTRACTUS NON ADEMPLETI and, in common law, this allows for one party to a contract to withhold payment if the other party does not deliver goods or services as contracted. And, as we've already mentioned, residents in 22 municipalities across the country are withholding the payment of rates on this basis.

This kind of action is best done as a group, not only for the sake of impact, but to protect participants from retaliation and/or frivolous legal action on the part of the city.

So, if this is a course of action you'd like to consider, either form a community group yourself or join your local residents' association. If you are a paid up member of a ratepayers' association, residents' association or community group that, as a group, chooses to become a member of the NTU, and if each household pays a membership fee of R20 per annum, the NTU will offer free advice and counsel in the case of legal action related to the legitimate withholding of rates for the non-delivery of services.

We believe rates campaigns can be very effective, especially as a means of setting legal precedent, but experience has taught us that they are best undertaken and managed at suburb level rather than at city level. This is because an action like this benefits from the infrastructure already established by residents' associations and, more importantly, residents feel they have more control over the action if it is initiated and managed locally.

That said, we're deeply concerned about how divisive the service delivery issue is, and especially about how divisions often develop along racial lines. For that reason, more than any other, we suggest that frustrated residents use the Presidential Hotline or contact the Minister of Cooperative Development as a first measure before considering a rates action.

On our part , the Joburg Advocacy group will continue to follow up the issue with Minister Shiceka, and we'll report back on our progress here.

But, if you want to get service delivery sorted, you have to get involved too. We need to work together to build a safe, peaceful, efficient and effective urban community, and that's only going to happen if residents and local government work together.

Comment on Improving Government Performance Green Paper

2009-09-24T17:01:00.000+02:00

Government has just released a Green Paper entitled "Improving Government Performance", and is asking for comments from the South African public. This is a chance to really have your say.

Check out the document here, and mail your comments to mamothe@po.gov.za in The Presidency.

All You Need to Know About Acid Mine Drainage

2009-08-25T15:34:00.001+02:00

When the issue of toxic water started hitting the headlines earlier this year (see Tide of toxic water poses health risk), we knew we had to look into it. As it turned out, the situation is far more serious than even we could have imagined, and here's what you need to know about it.

In short, the Witwatersrand Mining Basin, which comprises the Western Mining Basin, the Central Mining Basin and the Eastern Mining Basin, is filling up with rainwater and surface runoff as old shafts are being abandoned and are are no longer being pumped out.

This doesn't seem like too much of a problem until you hear that the water is dissolving the cobalt, zinc, arsenic, cadmium and uranium from the exposed rock underground, creating a toxic cocktail that has the pH of battery acid (between 2.2 and 3.6 according to water activist, Mariette Lefferink, and as reported by the Federation for a Sustainable Environment). This is referred to as ACID MINE DRAINAGE or AMD, and it affects surface water, ground water and the soil for thousands of years. It's also RADIOACTIVE.

And, according to an article published in The Citizen on 16 August, "The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has linked long-term exposure to Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) to cancer, skin lesions and mental retardation".

The article also advises that: "The acid water further undermines underground rock formations, and could conceivably cause sinkholes on the N14 or undermine the stability of buildings ... and acid water eating away at underground rock threatens the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site".

Now, here's the thing:

About 11 million people live over this radioactive lake, which is now starting to "decant" or flow to the surface. The Western Mining Basin is currently decanting at a rate of 60 mega litres per day, enough to fill 240 Olympic-sized swimming pools, and the Central Basin is expected to start decanting from a shaft in Benoni in January 2012. Much of the current decant is flowing into rivers and streams, and so onwards through the river system to the rest of the country. Any future decants will do the same.

The immediate plan is to start pumping water from the Western Basin into the Central Basin to stem the current decant on the West Rand, which is really just like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

The next plan is to "reclaim" excess water from the Witwatersrand Mining Basin, and to recover the cost of "purifying" this water by selling it to the Rand Water Board for consumption by the city's residents. But, as respected scientist, Dr Anthony Turton said at a water conference earlier this year, "no water treatment removes 100% of impurities 100% of the time", so how will residents know what is in their drinking water?

Our problem with all of this? No-one is consulting the 11 million people living above the mining basin about how to manage what Dr Turton has referred to as "the single largest environmental crisis South Africa has ever faced".

We understand that the issue of AMD is a legacy issue, but how it is being managed NOW is a governance issue, and we're really concerned that the city has neither formally advised residents of this threat nor put mechanisms in place to consult with them about it.

As we understand it, this is in direct contravention of not one, but several provisions in the constitution.

According to the Bill of Rights, which is enshrined in our constitution, "The state must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights" (Chapter 2, Section 7.2). These rights include:

the right to life (Section 7.11)
the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being (Section 7.24a)
the right to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures (Section 7.24b )
the right of access to information held by the state (Section 7.32.1a)
the right of access to information that is held by another person and that is required for the exercise or protection of rights (Section7.32.1b)
the right to have any dispute that can be resolved by the application of law decided in a fair public hearing before a court or, where appropriate, another independent and impartial tribunal or forum (Section 7.34).

Based on our understanding of these rights, we have applied for funding to test the constitutional responsibility of local government to advise its citizens of environmental threats like this one, and to consult with them on how they should be handled. We also want to test the constitutional rights of citizens to be informed about these threats, and to participate in the decision-making process related to them. It's a long process, but we'll keep you informed.

In the meantime ...

Report any problem with pollution - ESPECIALLY WATER POLLUTION - at Pollution Control.

What Political Parties Have to Say About Service Delivery

2009-08-03T16:34:00.001+02:00

The City of Joburg is run by an ANC-dominated council, so the issue of service delivery has a political dimension to it too, and is about more than just roads, streetlights and drains. It's also about holding elected officials accountable to the voters.

Check out what some of the opposition parties have to say about poor service delivery in the country:

COPE - Click through to read the response of the party's parliamentary leader, Mvume Dandala, to this year's State of the Nation address. He concluded his speech by saying: "As we have said many times over, the problem in our country has never been policy. The state of our nation is that of despair when it comes to service delivery". Exactly.

Democratic Alliance - Click through to read a statement in response to recent service delivery protests, in which MP Anthony Trollip says: "The Democratic Alliance is deeply concerned over the wave of service delivery protests that have erupted in municipalities across South Africa, as well as the ANC Government’s response to these protests". We are too ...

IFP - On the IFP's site, click through to Press Statements in the sidebar, and select the statement dated 31 July 2009. Here IFP leader Mongosuthu Buthelezi argues that poor service delivery is a systemic problem, saying that "the only lasting solution to the service delivery crisis will be to re-evaluate the entire local government system and how it operates". We couldn't have said it better ourselves!

Independent Democrats - Click through to read this response to service delivery protests, issued earlier this year, in which ID Gauteng MPL Khosi Mncedane says: "the rate at which service delivery protests are taking place across Gauteng is an indication that local governance has failed, and that an improvement is needed in the monitoring systems which regulate service delivery". Our thoughts exactly ...

UDM - On the UDM's site, click through to Let's TALK in the sidebar and go to Issue 2, which gives an excellent overview of the service delivery issue. UDM leader, Bantu Holomisa, argues that "service delivery isn't simply something that Government does - it is a constitutional imperative"; something that is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. You go, Bantu!

You can also click through to the ANC's latest press statement on the service delivery protests to get an idea of what the party has to say about the issue. National Spokeperson, Jesse Duarte says: "The African National Congress (ANC) has a deep understanding of the seriousness and impact that lack of service delivery has in the lives of the people". Ummnn ... really?

List of Residents' Associations and Community Groups

2009-06-02T17:48:00.020+02:00

This is an alphabetical list of all the residents' associations and community groups in the City of Johannesburg that we're aware of. If you of know one that isn't included here, please e-mail us at jag-sa(at)telkomsa.net, and we'll include it with pleasure.

Last updated: 23 Match 2011

Bank Road Residents' Association (Bromhof Ext. 23)
e-Mail: Julia_evans@mweb.co.za

Bryanston East Community Forum

e-Mail: admin@becf.co.za

Buccleuch Forum
e-Mail: jimpowell@mweb.co.za

Craigpark Residents' Association
e-Mail: mwpatmac@iafrica.com

Emmarentia Residents' Association
e-Mail: costav@mweb.co.za

Glen Austin Residents' Association
e-Mail: info@glenaustin.co.za

Grant Avenue Community
e-Mail: support@grantavenue.co.za

Houghton Residents' Association
e-Mail: info@houghtonresidents.co.za

Huddle and Environs Anti-Degradation League (HEAD League)

e-Mail: laserson@telkomsa.net

I Love Kensington Association (ILKA)
e-Mail: kensington2094@gmail.com

Jukskei River Catchment Area Management Forum (Jukskei Forum)

e-Mail: emifula@telkomsa.net

LenzInfo (Lenasia)
e-Mail: info@lenzinfo.org.za

Louis Botha Business Association
e-Mail: info@louisbothabusinessassociation.co.za

Mondeor Community Organisation
e-Mail: info@mondeor.co.za

Norwood Orchards Residents' Association (NORA)
e-Mail: info@nora.org.za

Orange Grove Residents and Ratepayers Association (OGRA)
e-Mail: orange@telkomsa.net

Our Bezhuidenhout Valley Residents' Association (OBVRA)
e-Mail: our.bezvalley.res@gmail.com

Parkhurst Village Residents' Association
e-Mail: chair@parkhurst.org.za

Parktown North Residents' Associatione-Mail: pnr@mweb.co.za

Paterson Park Precinct Oversight Committee

e-Mail: rchad@telkomsa.net

Queen Street Business Association

e-Mail: info@queenstreet.co.za

Rivonia Valley Residents' Association
e-Mail: info@rvra.co.za

Saxonwold and Parkwood Residents' Association
e-Mail: info@sapra.org.za

Sundowner Residents' Association
e-Mail: chairman@sundowner.org.za

Vorna Valley Residents' Association
e-Mail: vornavalley@gmail.com

About Us

2009-06-01T16:26:00.008+02:00

A Fresh Approach to Advocacy in the City of Johannesburg

The Joburg Advocacy Group (JAG) is an independent, non-aligned civil society advocacy group working for best practice governance, social justice and environmental protection in the City of Johannesburg, based on the principles outlined in the Constitution.

The group deals with issues of governance, usually on a per-project basis, both within the Joburg metro and, where appropriate, on a broader basis. We also research and make public a wide range of information of importance and interest to Joburg residents.

Our aim is to take peaceful direct action to address such issues as financial oversight, community security, service delivery and environmental protection. We aim to unite with other community groups around the issues, and to work with both our supporters and all interested and affected parties to find solutions to the problems that affect the everyday lives of people living and working in the metro.

JAG encourages participation and feedback from all residents of the city, as well as from all interested and affected parties regardless of political affiliation - and we advocate for everyone equally. Our work, which is all voluntary, is intended to build a safe, healthy, efficient community that is united in respect for diversity, constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

In summary, it is our aim to unite around the issues rather than to polarise along partisan lines; to work hard to build a safe, clean, well-run city that can be enjoyed and celebrated by all who live in it; and to hold both councillors and city workers accountable to the people they are either elected or employed to serve.

Methodology

Our methodology is:

(a) to empower residents to take peaceful direct action on a number of different issues by informing them of their rights and of the specific channels of action and/or redress available to them;
(b) to provide residents' associations and community groups with issue-specific information for distribution to their members;
(c) to encourage broad-based citizen action to address governance, social justice and environmental issues at local level;
(d) to actively publicise all governance issues and violations in the media;
(e) to enable residents to hold local government to account on the basis of the law; and
(f) to lobby for change within the framework of the law and the spirit of the Constitution.

Contact Us

2009-06-01T13:26:00.037+02:00

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE JOBURG ADVOCACY GROUP IS CURRENTLY OPERATING ON A LIMITED, AD HOC BASIS ONLY

Further information is available in the post dated 23 December 2011 on the home page. Links to information leaflets for residents affected by the billing crisis and the city's services cut-off campaign are also available there, as is a link to JAG's document archives.

The contact information of consumer, government and oversight agencies that may be able to help with other issues can be found in the sidebar.

For media queries only, please e-mail jag-sa@telkomsa.net.