New service delivery oversight unit to monitor Joburg projects

A service delivery unit to track various infrastructure projects across the City of Johannesburg will be set up in July, as the new budget kicks in, Rosebank Killarney Gazette reports.

Joburg’s City manager, Dr Ndivho Lukhwareni, said the unit would be based in his office, and would be an additional independent oversight when projects are being implemented. This unit will also interact with communities where these projects are being rolled out for feedback.

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“The unit will monitor projects. They will be the link between projects managers and the City’s leadership, who will at any time know what the progress of a project is,” he said.

This will enable them to give an independent view of the progress of projects. Lukhwareni said it would be like an audit of what project managers claim.

This comes after R66 million had already been paid for the upgrade to Eldorado Park’s substation, but it was found that no work of that value was done. The unit will also help the City evaluate the quality of the expenditure, making sure that quality work is being done.

During his State of the City Address early May, mayor Herman Mashaba said the unit’s purpose will be to plan, monitor and manage the rollout of the Diphetogo, or real change, priorities in the City.

“It will operate as a monitoring and evaluation tool to make sure these projects are rolled out efficiently and effectively.”

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