Overview
- On Wednesday Mayor Dada Morero delivered the State of the City address denying Johannesburg is bankrupt and said the city has a fully funded R89.4 billion budget, a debt‑relief plan, planned asset sales and a nearly finalised KfW loan for energy projects.
- National Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has told the mayor the city is “effectively” bankrupt and flagged more than R25 billion in creditor exposure, a claim that national officials and the city are still disputing.
- Eskom issued a notice that it could reduce or cut supply over an unpaid municipal account of roughly R5.0–5.3 billion, creating an immediate risk of electricity interruptions for parts of Johannesburg.
- Opposition parties and civil‑society groups say Morero’s figures are selective and point to continuing water outages, refuse failures, billing chaos and a roughly R220 billion infrastructure backlog that residents still experience.
- Negotiations with National Treasury, SALGA and Eskom plus the planned KfW loan are now the key tests for averting service cuts, and their outcomes will shape residents’ access to power, the city’s credit standing and election‑time political narratives.