President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group (PJWG), established in March 2025, has begun delivering improvements in service delivery and financial governance, though significant structural challenges remain. In a written reply to a question by Rise Mzansi MP and standing committee on public accounts chair Songezo Zibi, the president stated that the PJWG operates across eight workstreams chaired by the Presidency’s director-general Trevor Fowler, with regular briefings escalated to him and the mayor. The initiative was announced on March 7 2025 during an oversight engagement in Johannesburg, framed under the district development model to stabilise municipal finances and accelerate service delivery.
The PJWG was mandated to strengthen governance and financial sustainability, improve service delivery in water, sanitation and electricity, rejuvenate inner-city hubs and townships, revitalise cultural and heritage institutions and enhance safety and urban security. These objectives were set against the backdrop of Johannesburg’s deteriorating infrastructure, mounting municipal debt and declining public trust in local government. Years of underinvestment, billing failures and service interruptions had left the city vulnerable to systemic collapse, prompting the Presidency to establish a co-ordinated intervention rather than invoke constitutional receivership under section 139.
The Presidency confirmed that the most pressing issue is financial sustainability, with Johannesburg’s revenue collection rate still below the National Treasury benchmark of 95%. Inaccurate billing and rising debt across municipal entities remain a concern. To address this, the PJWG is advancing metro trading service reforms under Operation Vulindlela Phase Two, which introduces a single point of accountability, ring-fencing of revenues for reinvestment in infrastructure and professionalisation of entity boards.
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The Presidency indicated that if the city maintains compliance, the National Treasury will release an incentive-based grant for investment in water, electricity and waste management infrastructure. Progress has been reported in several areas. The city reached a settlement with Eskom in June 2025 to resolve a R3.2bn debt dispute, averting the risk of disconnection.
Water billing queries were reduced by half between June and September 2025, while non-revenue water interventions cut average daily demand by 95-million litres. Street lighting coverage has expanded to 95% of motorways, 83% of primary roads and 87% of inner-city roads. The Presidency also confirmed the launch of Rea Vaya Phase 1C on October 23 2025, connecting the inner city to Sandton via Alexandra, Yeoville and Bramley.
Cultural infrastructure has also seen progress. The Johannesburg City Library reopened in phases beginning in March 2025, with a full reopening in August 2025, after extensive upgrades led by the Johannesburg Development Agency. The Johannesburg Art Gallery is undergoing refurbishment, with artworks relocated for safekeeping.
The Presidency emphasised improved co-ordination between the police, City Power and the Johannesburg metro police in reducing electricity theft and non-technical losses. Bridges on critical arterials are under rehabilitation, and the PJWG has been credited with restoring transparency and trust between the government and social partners. Ramaphosa drew parallels with Eskom and Transnet, noting that both institutions required two to three years of uninterrupted, whole-of-government support to achieve operational improvements.
He indicated that Johannesburg will require a similar level of sustained intervention. “We are seeing progress in Johannesburg, but there is much work still to be done,” he said.
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