10 bodyguards for Joburg mayor, what are councillors so afraid of?

Clarence Ford speaks to Daily Maverick's Ferial Haffajee.

Listen to the interview in the audio below.

The City of Johannesburg is run by an ANC-EFF coalition of minor parties.

Despite their annual budget dropping to R76 Billion from R83 Billion, they are spending more on VIP protection than any major city in the country.

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Haffajee says that there have been issues with the billing system in Johannesburg, and there has been no political will to get it fixed, leading to the R7 billion reduced budget.

Johannesburg has had the largest budget in the country as the largest metro in terms of GDP, but the City of Cape Town is quickly catching up and could overtake Joburg in the future.

Despite financial struggles, the Executive Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda of the Al Jama-ah party will be allocated 10 bodyguards and 8 expensive luxury cars.

Haffajee says that this reveals what the ANC-EFF led coalition prioritises, and what this could look like at a provincial or national level.

“It is a small component, but it is telling you a big story.”

- Ferial Haffajee, Daily Maverick 

She says it raises an additional question of why these politicians are so afraid, and who they are afraid of.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.