41 City of Johannesburg ambulances have sat unused for six years as the city waits for an operating licence.
Forty-one City of Johannesburg ambulances worth about R41 million have sat idle for six years, while the city waits for Gauteng to decide whether it can put the vehicles back on the road to provide emergency medical services to residents.
The ambulances were bought by the city’s Emergency Management Services in 2019 at about R1 million each, but their use was disrupted when Gauteng began taking over municipal ambulance services.
The province has now confirmed that the city’s latest application for an operating licence, covering six stations, is under consideration.
Gauteng government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the application was submitted in July and a final decision rests with the Gauteng Health head of department.
He said the province would also engage the city on the future of the 41 ambulances, including the possibility of absorbing them into the provincial emergency medical services system.
“In the meantime, the provincial government will engage with the City of Johannesburg EMS (CoJEMS) to discuss the fate of its 41 ambulances, including the possibility of their absorption as part of the broader provincialisation process,” Mhlanga said.
The province said it was not involved in the purchase, funding or acquisition of the vehicles.
Mhlanga said Gauteng Health began taking over ambulance services from municipalities in 2009 to bring emergency medical services under provincial control and align them with national legislation.
However, while the vehicles remained the city’s property, it could no longer operate them without an independent licence.
CoJEMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said municipalities had historically provided ambulance services on behalf of the provincial government, but the responsibility was gradually taken back by the province.
Johannesburg was among the municipalities affected when the provincialisation process was finalised around 2020.
Mulaudzi said the 41 ambulances had been bought by the city shortly before the takeover and were not included in the vehicles transferred to the province.
“Because they were not part of the provincialisation, they belong to the City of Johannesburg,” Mulaudzi said.
But the city could not simply put them back on the road.
“We don't have the competency; we don't have the required licence to operate independently,” he said.
The city therefore had to seek permission from its council to fund and operate the ambulances independently, rather than providing the service on behalf of the province.
Mulaudzi said council approved the request, allowing the city to proceed with its application for an operating licence.
He said the city continued using the ambulances for about a year after provincialisation because residents were still coming to fire stations seeking medical assistance.
“There is no way that the province will say they've got enough ambulances.
“There will always be a need because people are used to coming to a fire station,” Mulaudzi said.
He added that the city believed the 41 vehicles could make a meaningful difference to emergency response times in Johannesburg.
The city first applied for a licence in 2025, according to Mulaudzi. That application was rejected, while a later application was acknowledged by Gauteng Health in July 2026.
Gauteng Health spokesperson Steve Mabona said the city initially applied on March 30 for a licence covering 15 fire stations.
The city later reduced this to six stations, submitting the revised application on July 15.
Mabona said the application had gone through the required assessment processes, but some regulatory processes still needed to be completed before a decision could be made.
Mulaudzi said the city had met the requirements and was now waiting for the department to decide.
“We just got feedback; they have received our application. And they are in the process of considering going through their own processes,” he said.
“We're still waiting and crossing our fingers that we might get that operating licence so that we can start rendering that medical service.”
The province is now considering not only whether the city should be licensed, but also what should happen to the 41 vehicles.
Mhlanga said their possible absorption into the provincial EMS system would be discussed with the city.
Mulaudzi said the vehicles remained ready to serve communities, but acknowledged that the decision was now with the provincial authorities.
“The ball now is in their court to say what is it that they do with those 41 vehicles, which are there, which are ready to serve the community,” he said.
The Democratic Alliance has called for an audit of the ambulances, including their condition and current value, and questioned why vehicles bought with public money have remained out of service while residents continue to need emergency medical assistance.
