From 5 February to 26 March 2026, the Office of the Ombudsman for the City of Johannesburg (“the Office”) will roll out its annual Citizen Information Clinics across the City, under the theme “Working together to deliver real solutions”. The clinics bring Ombudsman services directly into communities, providing residents with an accessible platform to raise concerns and seek resolution.

This year’s rollout builds on demonstrated progress achieved through ongoing collaboration between the Office and the City’s departments and entities. The implementation of corrective actions in response to complaints raised during the Information Clinics held in March last year confirms that when institutions work together, tangible and measurable improvements in people’s living conditions can be achieved.

The City of Johannesburg’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Environment and Infrastructure Services Department, Councilor Jack Sekwaila, strongly condemns the burning of Pikitup waste collection trucks in Diepsloot today. This incident has been reported to the South African Police Service for investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the destruction of the company’s vehicles and to apprehend those responsible.

This incident is particularly concerning as it occurred following an amicable agreement reached yesterday (27 January 2026) with protesting casual workers, who had barricaded the depot’s gates in an attempt to force Pikitup to employ them. These actions were taken while their grievances were being addressed.

The City of Johannesburg, led by City Manager Dr Floyd Brink, today undertook five coordinated, multi-disciplinary enforcement and service delivery operations as part of its High Impact Service Delivery Programme, involving Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (CRUM), Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, Johannesburg Roads Agency, Pikitup, City Power, and the South African Police Service (SAPS).

These operations targeted persistent by-law contraventions, illegal activities, infrastructure degradation, and public safety risks across Randburg and Midrand.

The MMC of the Environment and Infrastructure Service Department, Councillor Jack Sekwaila, expresses concern regarding the waste collection disruptions that have affected three depots in recent days. The MMC has urgently requested that Pikitup management, along with the board, convene a meeting with the organised labour union and representatives of casual workers to address this issue. As a result, a meeting was held this morning with Pikitup, Organised labour unions, and representatives of casual workers to discuss the matter and find a solution.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to resume normal operations while jointly addressing recruitment-related challenges with the City of Johannesburg, Pikitup, the organised labor union, and representatives of casual workers.

The Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO) is aware of speculation regarding alleged arrests involving its staff members. At this stage, the entity cannot confirm any arrest, nor to verify any allegations as it would be inappropriate to comment on unverified information. We can confirm that yesterday, some of our employees were questioned by law-enforcement authorities at our Head Office, however, we have not received official communication of any arrest of staff or executives, including the Acting CEO, Mr. Themba Mathibe.

The City of Johannesburg today undertook another major enforcement operation against illegal outdoor advertising, targeting both static and digital billboards, with a significant focus on digital advertising structures drawing electricity unlawfully from the City’s network.

While the operation addressed a range of non-compliant outdoor advertising, digital billboards were a key focus due to their high electricity demand and the increasing prevalence of illegal and unsafe power connections. These connections place the City’s electrical infrastructure at risk, endanger surrounding communities, and constitute electricity theft.

The City of Johannesburg, through the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) is pleased to announce that its Asphalt Plant is now fully operational as of Monday, 19 January 2026. This follows the successful completion of a critical annual maintenance programme designed to stabilize production and meet Johannesburg’s high demand for road repairs. The city is now equipped to tackle the road repairs and maintenance backlog head-on.

The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) is outraged by a series of violent incidents and reckless behaviour targeting its staff, including a racial assault in Rivonia and a serious hit-and-run incident in Linden today.

The JRA strongly condemns a violent assault and the use of racial slurs against its officials while they were performing essential road maintenance in Rivonia, Region E, on Friday, 23 January 2026.

The City of Johannesburg has observed that many customers do not update their contact information when opening municipal accounts or when changes occur. This can result in statements not being received, missed payments, and, in some cases, service disconnections.

The City stresses the importance of keeping contact details current to ensure that statements reach the correct account holder and that billing issues are identified and resolved early. Accurate information also allows the City to address estimated or backdated charges before they escalate into disputes.