Johannesburg, South Africa — the City of Joburg not to appeal the Gauteng High Court decision declaring its “excessive” VIP protection personnel unconstitutional and invalid.
On Thursday (2 January 2025), the South Gauteng High Court struck the City of Johannesburg VIP protection policy, which reportedly resulted in the allocation of up to 10 bodyguards for the Mayor and eight for the council of speaker.
In a decisive move on Saturday morning (4 January), the City of Joburg announced it will not appeal the court’s ruling, signaling an end to years of contentious security measures.
In a formal statement, the City acknowledged the absence of a structured framework for VIP security measures since the establishment of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.
According to earlier media reports, this policy, introduced in 2016 and formalised in March last year (2024), also made provision for up to six convoy vehicles, with MMCs assigned up to five security officers each.
“Since the inception of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, there has been no formal policy document governing the implementation of VIP security measures,” the statement reads in part. “Historically, security measures have been approved based on specific reported threats, with a comprehensive threat risk assessment conducted by either the State Security Agency or the South African Police Service preceding any approval.”
This decision, it added, has been made with the intention of providing transparency and clarity regarding the protocol used to approve the policy. Although the statement makes no mention of the number of bodyguards allocated, the City’s earlier decision was met with widespread criticism for its alleged extravagance and perceived misuse of taxpayers money.
As for the reported number of (10) bodyguards allocated for Mayor and his committee, the City of Joburg vehemently refuted this, describing it as a “deliberate misinformation seeking to present the current leadership as insensitive and flamboyant”, which it says is not true.
Furthermore, the City reassured the public that the current inspectors responsible for these services are not new recruits, but part of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD).
