BusinessLive reports that Johannesburg executive mayor Herman Mashaba is moving to bring the city’s agencies under the metro’s authority, in an apparent about-turn from promise in the run up to the 2016 local government elections.  

In a statement on Sunday, Mashaba pledged R18m from the salaries of non-executive board members alone.  He gave the assurance that no jobs would be lost in the proposed restructuring.  "We will be extremely sensitive to the issue of employment  …  It is about bringing the existing workforce and management into the city structures to improve service delivery to our residents," he said.  Joburg owns 12 entities, including City Power, Joburg Water and Pikitup.  The process of reintegration is expected to take 18 months to finalise.  The SA Municipal Workers’ Union’s (Samwu’s) Caleb Mokoena said the union had not been officially told of the pending move, but saw it as "simple politics" to "undo what was done by the previous administration".

• Read this report by Khulekani Magubane in full at BusinessLive
• Read the City of Johannesburg’s press statement at Politicsweb
• See too, City of Joburg approves integration of SOEs such as Pikitup, at EWN

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page