Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba and his team have failed to deliver on promises made to residents, with the city’s coalition council scoring "a mere” 20 percent in overall performance a year after taking power, African National Congress (ANC) regional chairperson Parks Tau said on Tuesday.

His party released a scorecard for Mashaba and his team, a performance assessment and evaluation of Mashaba’s ”10 point plan” when he took office after the 2016 local government elections.

Mashaba received an ”H” and according to Tau, has plunged the city into a dire financial situation.

”The DA-led coalition has reduced a progressive African city into an institution that has failed to meet its new investor targets in the past 12 months. The ongoing financial crisis of the city has also seen government of the day borrow up to R4-billion for operations in the first month of the current financial year,” Tau told reporters.

”Johannesburg is facing darker days ahead, many residents are already experiencing a drop in service delivery standards, with water and electricity delivery targets not being met in informal settlements, while uncut grass and piling waste are already a common sight in a number of communities.”

The city financials have deteriorated, prompting the ANC regional leadership to meet with Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba to raise their concerns, Tau added. He denied Mashaba’s statement that the city was on the brink of bankruptcy when the new council took over.

”We are in a situation where the city is facing a possibility of a downgrade because of liquidity and its cash position. They inherited a council that was financially healthy, but is now currently financially unstable. Bank accounts tell the truth…you can say what you want to say but a bank account will tell you how much was in the bank and how much there is now. So they must release the bank account records…they have already gone and raided the city’s Debt Redemption Fund to cover operation costs,” said Tau.

So dire was the city’s financial situation that an email was circulated to senior officials to only pay legislatively required payments, ignoring creditors.

”The memo says ‘do not pay’…so people have not been paid in the city of Johannesburg, and that is the reality…you cannot blame the previous administration for such things because the institution was financially healthy before they took over.”

In order to restore financial stability, Mashaba needed to implement austerity measures immediately, Tau continued.

The worst performers according to the score card were finance MMC Rabelani Dagada, who received a G rating, and corporate and shared services MMC Ntombi Khumalo, who got an F. Economic development MMC Sharon Peetz, now replaced by Leah Knott, also received an H. Community development MMC Nonhlanhla Sifuba was given an F.

Star performer was environment and infrastructure services MMC Anthony Still, who has also been replaced by Nico De Jager. He received a B, while transport MMC Nonhlanhla Makhuba received a C.

The ANC was unseated in Johannesburg after last year’s local government elections when the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) chose to give their vote to the DA, instead of the ANC.