Residents of the City of Johannesburg can expect massive investment on the revamping of the decayed City infrastructure and other related projects.
This is expected to form the cornerstone of the City’s Budget which the MMC of Finance Julie Suddaby will table in the Council Chamber tomorrow (May 25).
The budget has been themed ‘The Golden Repair’, which implies a lot of emphasis is being placed on the renewal of the decayed infrastructure of the City such as roads, water and sewer pipelines, electrical infrastructure, street lighting, and blocked storm drainage systems and the rejuvenation of the dilapidated inner-city buildings.
This is according to the theme of the budget which was let loose but spokesperson for Suddaby, Michelle Ashburner, would not let the cat out of the bag in terms of what to expect when she addressed a pre-budget media session around the logistics for the big day tomorrow.
“All I can tell you guys is that the budget is themed around the ‘Golden Repair’ thread and that should be enough to tell you what the City intends doing during this coming financial year,” Ashburner said.
On a question from Alex News around any chaotic scenes to be expected resembling those in the City of Tshwane, Ashburner said she is confident no such scenes can be expected as all parties in Council were part and parcel of the budget process though not all expectations from each and every party could be guaranteed.
Ashburner was under strict order not to leak anything but Alexandra residents can expect a big slice of repair work and money, which the Executive Mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse has already alluded to in her recent address to the Alexandra Business and Investment Summit in Kew.
Phalatse announced an investment of R171 million for the township – R20 million of which will go to the sprucing up of KwaMadala and Helen Joseph hostels; another R20 million for flood alleviation and intervention projects in the Far East Bank; R5 million for the replacement of sewer mains and another R5 million for the Emergency Management Services’ Be Safe Centre.
The bulk of the R171 million, which is R121 million, will go toward the completion of the BRT’s Rea Vaya Projects that link Alexandra to the Joburg CBD and the Sandton CBD as well.
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