Lucinda Harman, ward 102 councillor in the City of Johannesburg, has resigned, citing a toxic political environment, intimidation from construction mafias and a complete lack of support from the speaker’s office, conditions she said left her life and health at risk.
Ward 102 covers Bryanston, Hurlingham, Blairgowrie, Bordeaux and Randburg CBD.
Harman, who will step down on November 30, said she reached a breaking point after more than a year of escalating hostility, threats and unaddressed safety concerns.
She told TimesLIVE she had repeatedly warned the speaker’s office, ward committee management and law enforcement about intimidation, but her pleas “went unanswered”.
“It became untenable. I was literally at risk, and my health was at risk. If somebody didn’t get to me, then the job was going to kill me because of the amount of stress and pressure I was under.”
Harman said she had reported harassment and threats from within her own ward committee, including members aligned to political groupings she said were determined to undermine her work and disrupt projects in the area.
She described escalating tensions about the Selkirk housing project, a development worth more than R200m which she believes attracted criminal and political interference.
“With a project of that scale comes big risk, because people are all over trying to get jobs and trying to take control.”
Johannesburg metro police and SAPS failed to act when she sought assistance, she said, including during a May incident at the Gowrie Recreational Centre, where she said she was left without protection.
She criticised the speaker’s office for failing to intervene despite months of appeals.
“They are supposed to provide support and protection so there is no obstruction to doing your job, but when a councillor cannot work because people are running amok and it’s being allowed, that’s when the problem comes in.”
She linked the lack of action to the growing number of councillor killings in Johannesburg.
“That’s why so many councillors have been murdered in the past year, and others die because of the stress.”
The breakdown of ward committee structures compounded the pressure. She said officials responsible for managing the committee “refused to take action” against members who publicly defamed and threatened her, despite repeated evidence submitted since August 2023.
After months of trying to persevere, her health deteriorated. She spent two weeks in hospital earlier this year, where medical professionals advised her to step down.
“I didn’t want to resign; I was forced to resign. This decision was made for me because there was no protection, no belief, no listening and no support.”
Despite the circumstances, she said leaving her community was the most painful part of the decision.
“I have served them with my heart and my soul. I hope they understand why I was forced to make a decision I didn’t want to make. It breaks my heart.”
She plans to move into the business and civil society space, continuing work in active citizenship and professional training. She dismissed speculation that she may be crossing to another political party.
Looking ahead, she urged the city to take the safety of councillors seriously.
“Treat councillors with the respect and regard they deserve. The city is broken because of bad governance. I hope the next election brings real improvement.”
TimesLIVE
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