The City of Johannesburg has passed a motion to write off municipal debt owed by households on its indigent register, setting up a fresh political clash over poverty relief and the city’s finances. The motion was adopted on Tuesday with support from several councillors, including ActionSA, and was tabled by EFF councillor Mgcini Tshwaku.

The move means qualifying households on the city’s indigent database will no longer be expected to pay accumulated debt linked to basic services such as water, electricity, sanitation, and refuse removal. These are residents the city classifies as financially vulnerable, including unemployed people, Sassa beneficiaries and child-headed households.

EFF Says Poor Households Should Not Be Punished

The EFF has defended the decision as a necessary intervention for residents who simply cannot afford to pay. Gauteng EFF chairperson Nkululeko Dunga said the measure should stop aggressive debt collection against indigent households, including service disconnections. He argued that these families are not refusing to pay, but are trapped by poverty and forced to prioritise survival.

The party says municipal debt owed by the poor should be scrapped in full, describing the issue as one of justice rather than charity. The EFF has taken a similar position in other metros, with a comparable motion recently adopted in Tshwane but rejected in Ekurhuleni.

DA Warns of Financial Risk

The DA in Johannesburg abstained from the vote and raised concerns about the lack of detail around the write-off. Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said it was reckless to approve a vaguely defined debt intervention without a clear amount attached or a stronger plan for revenue collection.

She also argued that the city already has support tools for struggling households through its Extended Social Package, which includes free basic water, electricity and refuse removal for qualifying residents. According to the DA, the bigger problem is poor implementation rather than a lack of relief measures.

ActionSA Backs the Motion

ActionSA supported the decision, saying it fits the party’s pro-poor position. Johannesburg caucus leader Marcel Coutriers said vulnerable residents should not be treated as debtors because of administrative failures inside the city.

The vote now places Johannesburg at the centre of a wider debate: whether debt relief is a lifeline for the poor or a risky political move in a city already under severe financial and service delivery pressure.