The ongoing failure of the Ekurhuleni Metro’s Speaker, John Senona, to fill three vacant chairperson positions on oversight committees is seriously jeopardising the Council’s ability to fulfil its oversight function.
The following committees’ chairperson positions have been vacant since February and March:
• Water, Sanitation and Energy
• Gender, Children, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
• The Standing Committee on Integrity
In terms of the Council’s Standing Rules, a new chairperson must be elected within 30 days after the position becomes vacant. That period expired months ago.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) followed the prescribed process and submitted nominations to the Office of the Speaker by 10 June 2026. Subsequently, a report was supposed to be compiled and tabled to the Council together with the nomination forms.
The items were not, however, on the agenda for the council meeting on 30 July, nor do they appear on the agenda of the August meeting.
That leaves the Council with only two more meetings to conclude these matters before the local government elections in November. A process that should have been concluded within 30 days has now been dragging on for nearly seven months.
This constant dereliction of duty cannot be dismissed as a mere administrative error. It raises serious questions about non-compliance with the Standing Rules.
The Freedom Front Plus insists on a detailed explanation of the reasons behind the ongoing failure as well as an undertaking that the matter of the three elections will be tabled to the Council as soon as possible.
Even though the local government elections are just around the corner, it remains crucial to appoint chairpersons at once. The committees in question still have numerous outstanding items to address and oversight work to perform, and they cannot function effectively without leadership.
On 4 November 2026, Ekurhuleni residents have the opportunity to choose better governance, stronger oversight and a council that honours its own rules.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep demanding accountability, proper procedure and a municipal administration that serves the people.
