COMMENT ON DRAFT IDP, MEDIUM TERM BUDGET, PROPOSED TARIFFS & RATES for 2026-2027

The City of Johannesburg is asking residents for comments on its plans and budget for the year ahead.
That may sound dry, but it matters.
This is one of the few formal chances residents have to tell the City what is not working in Greenside and what needs to be properly funded.
Please take 5 minutes today and submit a comment. GRA has adapted a simple guide developed by the Craigpark RA to help you complete the form. Grab a cup of coffee, follow the step-by-step guide below, and your submission should be done before your coffee is finished.
Deadline: 17:00 on Monday, 18 May 2026

Click here to access the IDP Submission Form 

 

 

THANKS TO CRAIGPARK RA FOR THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

What is the IDP, in plain English?

The IDP is the City’s main planning document. It sets out what the City plans to prioritise, fund and deliver in the year ahead. In simple terms, it helps decide where the City’s money and attention should go.The IDP is reviewed every year, and residents are allowed to comment before it is finalised.

That is why this matters. If residents stay silent, the City can assume there is no strong local objection, concern or need. If residents participate, we create a clearer record of what our area needs.

You can view the City’s IDP documents here.

Why we are asking residents to participate

The more residents who participate, the stronger the message that Greenside needs clear, funded and measurable service delivery. This is not about writing a perfect submission. It is about making sure the City hears from the people who live here. A short, clear comment is better than no comment.

You do not need to write a perfect submission
You can comment on anything that affects daily life in our area, including:

Roads and potholes
Stormwater drains and flooding
Streetlights
Parks and green spaces
Public safety
By-law enforcement
Illegal dumping
Noise nuisance
Development planning
Traffic and speeding
Water, power and sewer infrastructure
Maintenance of public spaces
Billing and municipal responsiveness
Use your own words where possible. A personal, practical comment is often stronger than a copied-and-pasted one.

You may also submit more than one comment if you want to deal with different issues separately.

For example, you could submit:

• one comment on parks and green spaces
• one comment on roads and stormwater
• one comment on streetlights and safety
• one comment on by-law enforcement or development planning

How to complete the form

For Greenside residents:

Region: Region B
Ward number: 87
Suburb / township / area: Greenside
Submitting on behalf of: Yourself / Resident / Ratepayer / Community member, as applicable

For Question 9, we suggest selecting one or more of these:

IDP: Capex / Development Plans
Budget
Proposed Tariff
Rate Policy

For Question 10, choose the City entity or department closest to your concern. For example:

JRA: roads, potholes, bridges, resurfacing, stormwater, traffic lights and traffic calming measures
JCPZ / City Parks: parks, green spaces, Delta Park, Hugh Wyndham Park and the spruit
Pikitup: dumping, litter and waste
City Power: streetlights and electricity infrastructure
Johannesburg Water: water and sewer infrastructure
Public Safety / JMPD: by-law enforcement and public safety
Development Planning: zoning, land use, building control and unlawful development
If you are not sure which department to choose, select the closest match and explain your concern in the comment box.

For Questions 11 to 17, here is suggested wording you can copy, paste and adapt

You do not need to use every paragraph below. Even one short comment is useful. Please adapt the wording to reflect what matters most to you.

Suggested wording for Question 11 – Comment on the Draft IDP Capex / Development Plans

I request that the City of Johannesburg’s final 2026/27 IDP include a clear Ward 87 / Region B implementation plan showing what will be done, when, by whom and with what budget. The City must prioritise basic service delivery, road resurfacing, stormwater maintenance, water and sewer infrastructure, streetlights, by-law enforcement, public safety and the proper maintenance of green spaces. These spaces are central to the character and quality of life of Greenside. GRA and community partners already assist with cleanups, maintenance and environmental work, but this cannot replace proper municipal funding, enforcement and maintenance.

Suggested wording for Question 12 – Comment on the Draft Medium-Term Budget

The City should allocate sufficient budget to maintain existing infrastructure in Greenside. Residents support fair development across Johannesburg, but the City must also reinvest in established areas with ageing infrastructure and a significant rates base. Roads, parks, stormwater systems, water infrastructure, streetlights and electricity infrastructure are visibly deteriorating in many places. Maintenance of existing infrastructure is essential to protecting the City’s revenue base and retaining residents’ confidence.

Suggested wording for Question 13 – Comment on the Draft Rates Policy

Ward 87 residents pay substantial municipal rates and are entitled to expect a fair level of reinvestment in local infrastructure and services. The rates policy should not only focus on revenue collection. It should also support accountability for service delivery. The City should ensure that compliant ratepayers see measurable improvements in roads, parks, public lighting, water and sewer infrastructure, by-law enforcement, waste removal and public safety.

Suggested wording for Question 14 – Comment on the Proposed Tariff Increases

I do not object in principle to reasonable tariff increases where they are necessary and properly motivated. However, any increase must be linked to measurable service-delivery improvements. Residents should not be asked to pay more while roads deteriorate, parks decline, streetlights remain faulty, dumping continues, by-law enforcement is weak and infrastructure failures remain unresolved. The City should explain clearly how tariff increases will improve services in Ward 87 and Region B.

In addition there is a proposed 66% increase in the monthly fixed water demand levy (from R65 to around R107) other residential wtaer costs will increase on average by 12.5%. If you would like to object to this tariff you could write something like this :

I strongly object to the unwarranted, exorbitant, and punishing 66% increase in the water demand levy. Such an increase is unaffordable for a majority of households and will likely increase levels of non-payment. It does nothing to help manage water use or so-called “over-use”. In fact, it may have the opposite effect. It places all the burden of long-standing and obvious mismanagement, incompetence, and corruption on the part of city and Joburg Water officials on residents who have continued to uphold our side of a bargain the city has broken. Instead, focus on merit-based employment, enforcing accountability for incompetent and corrupt officials, reducing the massive amount of water that is “lost” by the city, and implementing your own turn-around strategy.

Service delivery complaint section

The form also allows residents to raise unresolved or recurring service-delivery complaints.

Examples you may wish to raise include:

• poor road condition or failed reinstatements
• stormwater problems
• broken or missing streetlights
• dumping or litter in parks and the spruit
• lack of by-law enforcement
• noise nuisance
• unlawful occupation or fires in public open spaces
• water leaks or sewer problems
• failure to address the illegal occupation of the Parkhurst Bowls Club property

For Question 16, explain your own specific concern:

There are recurring unresolved service-delivery issues in Ward 87/ Region B, including deteriorating roads, inadequate stormwater maintenance, broken streetlights, dumping and litter in public open spaces, weak by-law enforcement, and insufficient maintenance of parks and the Braamfontein Spruit corridor. The City should provide proper reference numbers, clear escalation routes, regular feedback and measurable turnaround times.

Here is an example of a specific issue (you can write your own): 

I ask the City of Johannesburg to urgently address the poor and incomplete reinstatement of roads following Johannesburg Water repairs across Greenside. Roads are excavated for water or sewer repairs and then left in an unacceptable condition. Many of these sites are filled with sand or temporary material, but the road surface is never properly reinstated. In some cases, large holes and failed reinstatements remain for extended periods, creating dangerous conditions for motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and residents. The City must ensure that Johannesburg Water, JRA and all relevant contractors follow a clear reinstatement process after any road excavation. This should include proper resurfacing, quality control, accountability for contractors, clear timelines and visible escalation routes when work is left incomplete.

The final 2026/27 IDP and budget should include a measurable plan for the repair of existing failed reinstatements in Ward 87/ Region B, as well as a proper system to prevent new excavations from being left unrepaired. Residents should not have to repeatedly report the same dangerous holes after municipal work has been carried out.

For Question 17, give addresses or areas where your specific concern exists

Put in the address or area of concern. So, if you are posting about reinstatements of our roads, then give some specific addresses where reinstatements are required if you have them. Even just the street name will be fine.

Please do this today

This should take about 5 minutes.

Please do not leave it to someone else.

The City needs to hear that residents are paying attention, that we care about our neighbourhoods, and that we expect proper service delivery backed by real budgets and measurable action.

Submit your comments by 17:00 on Monday, 18 May 2026.

Click here to submit your IDP comments to the City